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THREE LECTURES 



ON THE 



EARLY HISTORY 



OF THE 



TOWN OF FALMOUTH 



COVERING THE TIME 



From Its Settlement to 1812. 

DELIVERED IN THE YEAR 1 843, BY 

MR. CHARLES W. JENKINS, 
OF FALMOUTH. 



'• That things are not so 111 with yon and me as 
they mlRht have been, is half owing to the number 
who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvi». 
Ited tombs." Georob Eliot. 



FALMOUTH, MASS: 

L. r. CLARKE, STEAM PRINTER. 

(Thx lyOCAL Press.) 

TS89. 



V 






PREFACE. 



npHE MATERIAL in this volume forms three lectures on the Ear- 
ly History of Falmouth, which were written and delivered by 
Mr. Charles W. Jenkins, in Falmouth, about the year 1843. They 
were afterwards lent and lost for many years, but were recovered by 
me a few years ago, and are now printed as an addition to the litera- 
ture of the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the 
town. 

Only slight verbal changes have been made in the text of the 
lectures. Mr. Jenkins devoted much time and careful study to the 
records of the town, church and society, and also learned much 
town tradition from the older inhabitants ; information which could 
not be gathered now, nearly fifty years later. 

It is to be hoped that some one may be interested to take 
up immediately the history where these lectures leave it, 1812, and 
carry it on to the close of the war of the Rebellion. The difficulty 
of getting the data for such a record will increase rapidly from now 

on. 

Edward H. Jenkins. 
New Haven, Conn., Oct. 1889. 



CONTENTS- 



Paqm, 
Introduction, i 



I. History of Falmouth from 1600 to 1700, 4 
Civil History. 

Bartholomew Gosnold, 4 

Indian Tribes in the Region, 5 
Acquiring title to land and treatment of Indians 

by the settlers, 8 
Origin of the Settlers and first landing at Fal- 
mouth, 10 
Original Division of lands at Falmouth Village 

and Woods Hole, 15 

Division of lands at West Falmouth, 19 

Incorporation in 1689, 25 

Taking up of land at East End of Town, 15 

Levy for the Expedition against Quebec, a8 
Ecclesiastical History. 

Relations with Quakers, 30 

First Provision for Public Worship, 33 

II. History of Falmouth from 1700 to 1774, 35 
Civil History. 

" Town's Book," 35 

Town House, 37 

The Retrenchment Party, 37 



Laying out' of "New Purchase," 41 
Clay bank for Proprietors' use, 48 
Disputes as to Boundaries, 45 
The Town's School, 48 
The First Grist Mill, 49 
Fixing the Marshpee Line, 49 
A Town Surplus, 50 
"The Meeting-house Lot," 54 
School Districts and the Grammar School, 55 
Trouble with Millers, 56 
Ecclesiastical History. 
-Labors of Mr. Shiverick, 59 
Calling and Settlement of Mr. Metcalf, 60 
Organization of a Church, 64 
Services of Rev. Josiah Marshall, 67 
Calling and Settlement of Rev. Samuel Pal- 
mer, 68 
A New Meeting-house, 74 
in. History of Falmouth from 1774 to 181 2. 76 
Civil History. 
Arming of the Citizens, 78 
Procuring Food by the Town, 79-83 
Call from the Committee of Safety, 80 
Visit of the British Fleet, 84 
Fights with Privateers, oo 
Draft for the Continental Army, ot 
The Great Herring Controversy, 06 
Falmouth Wharf og 
The Artillery Co., og 
Ecclesiastical History. 
Settlement of Rev. Z. Butler, 99 
Settlement of Rev. Isaiah Mann, 100 
Friends' Meeting House, lOo 
Settlement of Rev. Henry Lincoln, loi 
The New Meeting House, 103 
Discharge of Friends or Quakers from church taxes, 105 
Establishment of the Methodist Church, 105 



INTRODUCTION. 

There is no country whatever its condition, whose history may 
not be instructive. If its government has been equitable, its laws 
just and its achievements praise-worthy, its history will be valuable 
as furnishing models, and establishing precedents that may be safely 
followed by succeeding generations. If, on the contrary, its govern- 
ment has sacrificed the interests of the many for the benefit of the 
few, if it has been the theatre of unhallowed ambition, of insatiate 
avarice, or of cruel oppression, its history will still be valuable, as 
illustrating the evils of national tyranny, ignorance and debasement. 
Most richly does New England merit the attention and study of the 
historian on account of the causes that led to its settlement, its 
small beginnings, its early poverty, trials and exposures, its rapid 
growth and its present character, resources, power and influence. 
The impartial historian will find the causes of this wonderful 
development not in the severity of its cHmate or the barrenness of 
its soil, not mainly in the presence or absence of any external condi- 
tions, but in the private virtues, untiring industry and unshaken 
fortitude of its first colonists, sustained and fostered by wise and 
good laws, faithfully and impartially executed. We may well be 
proud of our early history and use all means in our power carefully 



2 HISTOEY OF FALMOUTH. 

to collect and preserve all the incidents connected with it. It is to 
be regretted that the early settlers were so careless in the keeping of 
the records — that so few authenticated facts can now be obtained 
respecting the settlement of our oldest towns. Although it is little 
more than one hundred and eighty years since the first settlement of 
this town, very little satisfactory information relating to the early 
labours, trials and sufferings of our fathers in subduing the wilder- 
ness and preparing for us this goodly heritage, can now be collected. 
As a native of this town and a regular descendant in both lines of 
his ancestry of two of the first Englishmen who trod this soil, the 
writer has long felt a strong desire to learn more respecting the 
origin, character and acts of the first settlers of Falmouth. Impelled 
by this feeling he has made such inquiries and collected such facts 
as the little time at his disposal would allow. The sources of 
information have been more numerous than was anticipated at the 
commencement of the effort. The facts and incidents that follow 
have been gathered : 

I St, — From the Records of the Town. These contain more 
than has generally been supposed. The records previous to 1800 
were kept in so irregular a manner, — town meetings, ear marks, 
births, marriages and deaths being promiscuously interspersed, and 
for the most part in a hand-writing more resembling Hebrew text 
than the King's English — that few have attempted to read through 
these sizable books to sift out and arrange their contents in system 
and order. 

2nd, — From Tradition. Information from this source cannot 
prove so satisfactory as from record — yet when it serves to corrobor- 
ate statements otherwise made probable, it may be generally received. 
The importance to be attached to traditionary history depends very 
much on the number of generations through which it has passed, as 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 3 

well as the character and intelligence of those through whom it has 
been transmitted. Only six generations have passed off the stage of 
life since our fathers first landed on this coast and they were honest 
and intelligent men. In the absence of inducements to deceive 
therefore, we cannot doubt the general accuracy of most of the 
traditions that have been handed down. In conversation with the 
speaker some of our oldest neighbors have narrated circumstances 
told them by their parents which go back more than one hundred 
and twenty-five years. 

3rd, — The remaining source has been. Publications relating to 
the affairs of the first colonies — and Correspondence with persons in 
the neighboring towns who were supposed to possess information 
relative to our early history. As natives of the town almost every- 
thing relating to our origin and history it is worth our while to pre- 
serve, and if the speaker shall go quite fully into detail, it is hoped 
it will not be tedious. He regrets that he is not able to throw a 
greater charm about the narrative of the deeds of our fathers, but 
is conscious of having done what he could under the circumstances 
in which he has been placed, and throws himself on the indulgence 
of his audience, hoping that his efforts may be received with some 
degree of favor. 



Section ist, from 1660 to 1700. 



We are not sure but Falmouth* may yet claim the honor of 
being the first spot on the main land of America on which an Eng- 
lishman ever trod. New facts relating to our early histoiy are 
coming to light and the praiseworthy efforts that are now being made 
by the Massachusetts Historical Society and other kindred associa- 
tions to collect and authenticate these facts will undoubtedly throw 
much new light on the events that led to our establishment as a peo- 
ple on these western shores. The society just alluded to has quite 
recently come in possession of some manuscripts through an Ameri- 
can traveller in Europe, giving a particular account of Bartholomew 
(iosnold's visit to the Elizabeth Islands in 1602. 

He was the first English navigator (of whom we have any 
account) that passed through the Vineyard Sound. He came into 

* The town of Fahiiontli forms the sonth-wpsteni cxtreinity of Cape Cod 

— bciuK bounded on the noith-east by a straight hoe dividing it from the town of 
Sandwieli and the north-west by a small Btream running from Hope Spring, at 
the extreme north point, into Catanmet or Wild Harbor; on the cast by the 
reservation of Mashpee; on the south by Vineyard Sound; and on the west bj' 
Buzzard's Bay. Its situation is found to be Lat.41 degrees, 34 minutes—Longitnde 
70 degrees, IVi minutes, 45 seconds. For the latitude I am indebted to Capt. H. C. 
Bunker— for the longitude to (.'apt. .John Croeker— both the result of actual 



HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 5 

it from the eastward on the 21st of May of that year, and on the 
follo\ving day landed on the island opposite, Martha's V^ineyard. He 
proceeded on the 24th to the next islands to which he gave the name 
of his Queen — calling them the Elizabeth Islands. He is said to have 
reached the main land on the 31st, seeking a favorable location 
for a settlement. Having this object in view it is natural to suppose 
he would first land on the nearest point of the continent and it is 
not at all improbable that his first landing was at Wood's HoU. He 
undoubtedly landed on the main in the vicinity of New Bedford also, 
but probably not until he had explored and rejected this region for a 
settlement. He is said to have resolved finally on a settlement at 
one of the islands because it made his position more secure from 
the attacks of the natives and actually commenced the building of 
a fort, but his men revolted and it was abandoned. 

It is natural for us here to inquire what was the condition of 
this township before its occupation b)- Europeans. I have not been 
able to find any record of a distinct tribe of aborigines living here. 
The nearest distinct tribes of which we have any account were the 
Heriing River Indians about twelve miles to the north, and the 
Mashpee Indians about the same distance to the east. The New 
England Memorial mentions the missionary tours of Rev. Mr. 

ohsei'vation and umlonbtt-dly correct. A raiiRt- of liills inirtl>- cov('reil with oak- 
forest ext(M)(!!< from vvood.s Ho'c in a northerly direction tlie vhc^le lenfrth of 
tlie township. The r(,>8t of the town i.s uncommonly level, the soil heint;' mostly 
a gravelly loam except in the enstern section which is light and samly. Its 
extreme width of coast on a straight line from Wood'.'! IIoll to the Mashpee line 
is about 34 miU^s, and its <lepth on a straight line from Falmouth Wharf to 
Hope .Si)ring is S miles, l.") rods. The town contains iibout 4.i square miles. 
Population in KS40, '2.51(5. There is a small discrepancy between the census tnkeii 
by the town and that taken by order of govtirnment. The Goveniment census 
was 2.Tt4, but the former tHk-(Mi by o\ir selectmen is undoubtedly correct. The 
population is divided :;s follows: East Falmouth to sign ])ost at Tateket 805. 
Noith Falmouth to C.ipt. Walter ^)a^■is' and Tatel.et sign post ."),")i!. From Wood's 
Hole to Tatelcet sign post 11.5.'). According to the Collections of JTass. Hist. 
Society the population of Falmouth in 17G4 was \•li:^■, in ITTti was i:5.")'i; in 1790 
was 16.37; in 1800 was 1S(«. 



6 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

Cotton of the Plymouth Colony to a small tribe of Indians (about 
50) on Buzzard's Bay, but whether this tribe was living on the west 
or east side of the Bay cannot now be determined. From the 
nearness of this region to the sea, its numerous ponds and streams 
furnishing so many facilities for fishing and hunting we should infer 
that it must have been thickly inhabited, and to this opinion I 
incline for several reasons. One is the Indian names given to the 
different sections of the town. We have Acaposket, Quisset, 
Tateket, Chapoquit, Cataumet, Ashumet, Waquoit, &c., all of them 
probably names of Indian villages. Cataumet and Chapoquit are 
known to have been considerable Indian villages. A large Indian 
burying ground may now be found at the latter place, — another in 
the rear of Mrs. Hervey Weeks' house was ploughed up a few years 
since. 

Some have supposed the name Tateket was given to a section 
made by an imaginary line drawn nearly North and South and dividing 
what was termed the "new purchase" into two divisions. I can find 
nothing to support such an opinion. The name Tateket was applied 
as the records show to the same place as it now is long before the 
new purchase was run out; as early as 1685. Frequent mention is 
made of Christopher (iifford as one of the principal proprietors in 
this region about 1690. 

A second reason for believing that this region was thickly 
inhabited by Indians previous to its settlement by our ancestors is 
the great number of Indian relics which our old people tell us have 
been found in breaking up the soil. Immense quantities of stone 
arrows have been ploughed up near the west coast of the town. It 
is probable, however, that the tribes in this vicinity has been greatly 
reduced before the first settlement by the whites had commenced — 
for we know that the smallpox made great ravages among the Indians 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 7 

about the time of the first discovery of the country. The favorite 
haunts of the Indians seem to have been on the west side of the 
township near the margin of the Bay and around Quisset and Hog 
Island Harbors, and here their titles were last extinguished. 

There was a celebrated family in this region by the name of 
Shanks or Shaunks and there is a small pond near the residence of 
Mr. Joseph Robinson known to this dav as Shank's Pond. Mr. 
Melatiah Gifford tells me that his father has often described an 
Indian wigwam near this pond that he had visited in his younger 
days, and that he well remembered the festoons of clams that were 
suspended around the apartment until they had become, from the 
smoke of the common fire in the centre, as brown as bacon. The 
occupant of this wigwam was remarkable for his height as well as 
for the irregularity of his habits. His visits to the white settlements 
on the coast for strong water were quite frequent ar.d his condition 
on his return could be pretty accurately ascertained long before his 
arrival, for the outline of his remarkably tall figure could be defined 
at a distance as he came over the hills following a more or less 
devious course according to the depth of his potations. Another 
member of this notorious family lived a little farther to the westward. 
He was an unfortunate Indian, being, "a. hen-picked husband," or in 
plain English, his squaw ruled him with a rod of iron. The follow- 
ing anecdote is related of him. Encouraged by the white settlers 
he undertook to raise hay. He obtained of them a scythe, but on 
using it he found it too soft. He had noticed that the English 
hardened iron by heating it and dipping it in cold water. He made 
a large fire, heated his scythe extremely hot and then threw it into a 
pond, which bent it up and spoiled it. His squaw, who had learned 
by observation something more than he of the process of hardening 
iron, was greatly vexed and addressed him thus, "You old fool ; 



8 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

didn't you know that such sudden heats and colds would never do?" 
An Indian called "Tob" retained a tract of about 50 acres long after 
the natives around him had sold out. 

It is an interesting question, — How did our fathers acquire and 
establish their titles to the soil? It appears from the Old Colony 
records that when new settlements were commenced the lands were 
purchased of the natives with the consent of the court and each 
one squatted or settled where it best suited his convenience, having 
the greater part of the lands "in common." Owing to this loose 
way of doing things, controversies soon sprang up between compan- 
ies living near each other, to obviate which, application was made to 
the government at Plymouth for grants establishing the boundaries 
and confirming to the settlers the various tracts they had obtained. 
But did our fathers deal truly and honorably with the Indians in the 
purchase of the soil? The following extract is from a letter of 
Gov. Winslow dated INIarshfield, May i, 1676, and found in Holmes' 
Annals. "I think I can clearly say that the English did not possess 
one foot of land in this colony but what was fairly obtained by 
honest purchase of the Indian proprietors. \\'e first made a law 
that none should purchase or receive of gift any land of the Indians 
without the knowledge of our Court. And lest they should be 
straightened, we ordered that Mount Hope, Pocasset and several 
other necks of the best land in the colony, because most suitable 
and convenient for them, should never be bought out of their 
hands." * 

* TIh' I'oliowing- record also ilUi.sti-iitrt< the regard tli:'.l vas held for the 

rights of Indians: At a meetintr lielt! Aiijr.-2.Sd, 1T('4, WequanKiui>?sett Neck wasi 
given to J'-hn Weeks, bis heirs' and aswigns forever, "provideil ami on condition 
that the sd. ,Iohn Weeks, lils Ueir.s and a!?.sii:n.«, do forever hereafter sa\e hanii- 
lerts and indemnitize the srt. Proprietors from the just claim of tlie heirs or 
generation of '\Ve((ect>\ett, an Indian deceased, respecting a former liberty that 
wasgranteil unto sd. Indians, 07- i..y tlicni recerved for cutting of firewood on 
the common i,r undivided lands in sd. Falmuuth." IE. H. J.] 



HLSTOnV OF FALMOUTH. 9 

A law was passed in 1643 that no person or persons should 
purchase or even hire any land of the Indians without the knowl- 
edge and consent of the Colony, on a penalty of ^5. for every acre 
thus obtained. 

This is not the place to discuss at length the treatment of the 
Indians by the English settlers, but I cannot forbear an 'expression of 
my firm conviction that our fathers generally made great sacrifices to 
conciliate the natives and that it was not a mere worldly policy that 
stimulated their zeal to secure their friendship and to do them good. 
Great and self-denying efforts were made to secure to them religious 
instruction and with great success. As a general thing the settlers 
did what they could to avoid collision, and their wars were simpl)' 
struggles for self-preservation. The celebrated Eliot, the apostle to 
the Indians, made several tours to the Indians on Martha's Vineyard 
and passing on his way thither (as he undoubtedly did) through this 
town made, as we ma}- suppose, these villages anci hiils eclio with the 
sound of his voice, proclaiming to the assembled groups of the 
aborigines the mild and to them the new religion of the Saviour. It 
may here be added that the Indians were encouraged to asi)ire to 
stations of responsibility and trust, and the more intelligent among 
them were in some cases appointed under the government as magis- 
trates. You have heard the anecdote respecting an Indian consta- 
ble's warrant which ran thus — "I Hihondi, you Peter Waterman. 
Jeremy Wicket ; — quick you take him, fast you hold him, straight 
you bring him before me liihcndi." 

Tradition says that at the time the first settlers arrived here 
there was war i)etween the natives on the main land and a tribe on 
Martha's Vineyard and that the whiles experienced much inconveni- 
ence in consequence of their operations. Although no general mis- 
understanding seems to have occurred between the nati\es and the 



3 



lO HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

whites, yet many personal encounters are said to have occurred and 
many acts of violence were committed. In conversation with a lady 
a few days since — now in her 79th year, — I was informed that her 
parents settled in Quisset, and that a wigwam, which she had often 
visited when a child, stood near the present residence of Mr. Solomon 
Davis. She also told me that her great-uncle, when a lad, was 
stolen by the Indians and taken with his mother to the sea, where 
the party embarked in a canoe. The lad was commanded to seat 
himself in the canoe, but not understanding the language of the 
natives and remaining in a standing position, he received a blow on 
his head, the mark of which he bore ever after. The weather was 
cold and on arriving at their place of destination the mother was 
excluded from the wigwams and ' perished in the night. The boy 
after remaining a long time with the Indians, ran away and got back 
to his home. Many similar occurrences might be mentioned, show- 
ing that our fathers had other trials than simply thof-e that are always 
attendant on the settlement of a new country. 

The earliest records of the town are comprised in a manuscript 
book called "Proprietors' Records" and dated November 29th, 1661. 
This book contains litde else than the divisions and bounds of lands 
as they were set off to the original proprietors. It gives us the 
names of the first settlers, but from them we can gain no knowledge 
as to whom they were, from whence they came, or when and how they 
arrived. These interesting (juestions 1 shall attempt to answer. We 
will go back to the county of Kent in England. A company from 
this county, arrived in New England and began the setdement of 
Scituate. about 1628. The first principal street laid out in Scituate 
was called Kent Street. It is stated in the Collections of the 
Mass. Historical Society, "Scituate, indebted to the substantial charac- 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. n 

ter of some of its founders, many of whom it is evident came from 
Kent, in England, soon became a respectable town, taking early the 
lead in rates and levies of men, which superiority it maintained to 
the latest annals of the colony. Are you a Kentish man, or a man 
of Kent? has its historical value as it respects origin." A part of 
this first company that commenced the settlement at Scituate 
removed to West Banistable, and commenced the settlement of that 
town in 1639. Tradition says the first company of settlers of Fal- 
mouth arrived in 1660, in boats from Barnstable and landed between 
Fresh* and Salt Ponds, where they encamped until their homes 
were constructed. 

The following anecdote has been handed down by tradition and 
is probably literally true. The first night after landing, the emi- 
grants encamped in the flag swamp at the south end of Fresh pond, 
being greatly fatigued with the passage, landing, etc. The wife of 
Jonathan Hatch had a son born somewhat unexpectedly the same 
night. When asked what she would have him named, she replied 'He 
was born amongst the flags and his name shall be Moses.' This 
name together with the land first set off to this Jonathan Hatch has 
descended in the same family to the present day, [1843.] 

The first records of Barnstable were kept in a very loose man- 
ner, being on detached pieces of paper. These were collected after 
many years (as many as could be found) and copied in a book and 
the originals destroyed. But the fact that all the names of the first 
settlers of Falmouth were Barnstable names, and most of them 
Scituate names, confirms and establishes the tradition that they 
came from Barnstable to this place. 

Their names as they appear on the record are the following — 

• Or Cou8i<ler Hutob'fl Pond, called 'Sider'8 I'oiul for short. [E. H. J.] 



12 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

Jonathan Hatch, Isaac Robinson, John Chapman, John Jenkins, 
Tames H a mlin . Mr. Thomas, Samuel Fuller, Thomas Lathrop, 
Anthony Annibel, Peter Blossom, William Nelson, James Cobb, 
Samuel Hinckley, Thomas Ewer. A few weeks ago I sent a copy of 
these names to a gentleman living at Barnstable, who is well 
acquainted with the early history of that town, asking for information 
on this subject. He wrote me that no record could be found of the 
removal of this company from that place but that these were all 
Barnstable names. I have since traced one of these individuals 
from Scituate through Barnstable to this town which decides the 
question I think, satisfactorily, as to our origin. This individual was 
Isaac Robinson. He was the son of Rev. John Robinson, the dis- 
tinguished puritan clergyman, from whose church at Leyden came 
the first Plymouth pilgrims. It was the intention of John Robinson 
to remo^•e with the remaining niembers of his church to Plymouth, 
but dying in 1625 his widow and family together with the principal 
remaining part of his congregation came over about 1628. Prince, 
in his New P.ngland Chronology says. "'His son Isaac came over to 
Plymouth Colony and lived to above ninety years of age, a venera- 
ble man v.-hom I ha\e often seen, and has left male posterity in 
Barnstable County." His descendants are numerous and great pains 
have been tatten to learn more of his history, but little more I 
believe has been gained than what we find in Prince's Chronology. 
From the fact that the names of John and Isaac Robinson have de- 
scended in this town for several generations I was led to the conclu- 
sion that they were descendants of this man and believing myself to 
have descended on the maternal side from this family I could not 
rest contented with so meagre an account. I wrote to the venerable 
Dr. Thatcher of Plymouth for information, who stated in reply that 
in writing his history of i'lymouth. he had made much incpiir)- but 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 1 3 

could trace Isaac Robinson no farther than 1659, and referred me to 
his book. I there find in reference to the persecution of the 
Quakers the following statement : "For the purpose of bringing the 
Quakers to a sense of their mistakes, the laws were so far relaxed as 
to permit certain persons to attend their meetings to endeavor to 
reduce them from the error of their ways : this permission was given 
to Isaac Robinson, the son of the celebrated Leyden pastor and three 
others. "But," says Mr. Baylies "the government were not aware of 
their danger. The fanaticism of a new sect is always an overmatch 
for that which has been cooled and tempered by time. Isaac 
Robinson, an excellent and sensible man who had received the per- 
mission of the Court to attend their meetings, instead of convincing 
the Quakers of their errors, became self-convicted, embraced many 
of their doctrines and consequently rendered himself so obnoxious 
that h'e was dismissed from civil employment and exposed to much 
censure and some indignity." But what became of Isaac Robinson 
after he had fallen under the displeasure of government and been 
disfranchised ? The Rev. Samuel Deane of Scituate has published in 
a volume of some 400 pages a detailed account of the settlement ot 
that ancient town. It is there stated that "Isaac Robinson, the son ot 
the Puritan founder was a freeman in Scituate in 1636 — that he sold 
his house and land to one John Twisden* in 1639 and removed to 
Barnstable. He was a highly respected man, an assistant in the 
government, but having fallen under the displeasure of "the stem 
Thomas Prince," (Jov. — 1669, on account of his opposition to the 
laws against the Quakers, he was disfranchised, but he lived to be 
restored under Gov. Josiah Winslow. 1673."! His first wife was 

* "Gooilman Tivesdfi))." [K. H: .J.] 

t The old recoi'f] ol <lisfranchiscmeiit, suys Mrs. Caroline 11. Dall, is inter- 
lined with the word!*:— "There being some jnifitake in ihih, the sai<l Lsaac, at his 
request is re-established." [E. H. .!.] 



14 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

Marfjaret Hanford whom he married June 27, 1636, and by whom he 
had five children. His second wife was Mar)' Faunce, sister of the 
famous Elder Faunce, of Plymouth, whom he married in 1650 and 
by whom he had four children. He lived to be 93 years old. It 
thus appears that Isaac Robinson removed from Scituate to Barn- 
stable (Great Marshes) in 1639, and in just twenty years from his 
arrival at that place, incurred the displeasure of Government for 
interfering to protect the Quakers. It was natural that he should 
now wish to emigrate — and he with thirteen other men and their 
families left Barnstable the following year, 1660. It is probable that 
this company contemplated a settlement at Martha's Vineyard as this 
Isaac Robinson when he left Barnstable (as appears by the records 
of the West Barnstable church) took a letter of dismission and 
recommendation to a church on that island. They probably came 
up the Sound in boats and concluded to land and explore the region 
on this side and finding it eligible for a settlement concluded to stop 
here. One of the first houses erected in this town was Isaac 
Robinson's and was standing on the neck lying between Fresh and 
Salt Ponds in the fall of 1 661, as appears from the Proprietor's 
Records.* Some, to whom I have mentioned my conviction that 
Isaac Robinson Sen. was one of the first settlers of Falmouth, have 
expressed the opinion that he must have been a son of said Isaac^ 
We must recollect that Isaac Robinson Sen. had not been married 
20 years in 1660, consequently could not have had a son of suflFici- 
ent age to have a family and to take the lead in such an enterprise. 
Thus, I have (as I think) satisfactorily proved that Isaac Robinson 
Sen., the distinguished son of the celebrated Leyden pastor, was 

* At the lower end of Fresh Pond there was some years ago an old rose 

bush, the only relic of an ancient garden which according to tradition belonged 
to Isaac Robinson. This land has since been "cleared up" and the rose bush 
which was perhaps one of the pilgrims from Barnstable in 1660 or a descendant 
of it, was killed. [J. E. H.] 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 15 

one of the first and leading settlers of the town of Falmouth. I 
shall be excused for the minuteness with which I have gone into this 
inquiry, as it is one in which we cannot but feel a deep interest. 

The descendants of the Robinson family are quite numerous and 
great, pains have been taken to trace its genealogy. I have been 
informed by Eben Bacon, Esq., of Barnstable that the venerable 
artist, Col. Trumbull, of Connecticut, visited that town a few years 
since, for the purpose of tracing the history of Isaac Robinson, that 
he went with him to West Barnstable and found there a record of his 
dismission from the Congregational church in that parish, but could 
not ascertain to what place he removed, though the supposition was 
that he went to Martha's Vineyard. Among the numerous families 
of that name in this town I am hoping yet to find some record that 
will connect the links of descent from him to the present generation.* 
The fact that it is now so difficult to form this connection shows how 
careless or indifferent families have been as to their genealogy. 

Having now landed the first settlers on these shores in 1660, we 
will turn to the Records and commence the divisions of lands. 
"Nov. 29, 1661, we whose names are under have agreed for ourselves 
and for whom any of us are agents, for laying out of lands in 
Succanesset" (the ancient name of this town). 

"ist, — The neck of land lying by the Herring Brook shall be in 
general. 

2dly, — That Jonathan Hatch and Isaac Robinson, because they 
have built their houses should have their lots by their houses, that is 
to say Jonathan Hatch to have ten acres by his house lying against 
the neck and leaving a sufficient way in to the neck, — and Isaac 
Robinson to have four acres by his house and eight acres next adjoin- 

* A very complete genealogy of the Robinson family was a ft e inwards pre 

pared by Mr. John Jenkins of Falmouth and is now in possession of his sons. 

[E. H. J.] 



i6 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 



ing to Jonathan Hatch towards Pease's land, also because he thought 
himself wronged to be put off the neck, we have condescended that 
he shall have an acre and half of meadow within the great neck 
towards Pease's land. 

3dly, — Taking a view beyond them and Pease's land that it 
would yield but eight acres to every share, so accordingly we laid it 



1 John Chapman, 4 acres, 

2 John Jenkins, 8 acres, 

3 |ai-nps ^aiyjH^ 8 acres, 
7 Anthony Annabel, 8 acres, 
9 William Nelson, 4 acres, 

II Samuel Hinckley, 8 acres, 



4 Mr. Thomas, 8 acres, 

5 Samuel Fuller, 8 acres, 

6 Thomas Lathrop, 8 acres, 
8 Peter Blossom, 8 acres, 

10 James Cobb, 8 acres, 

1 2 Thomas Ewer, 8 acres, 



4thly, — Because we questioned whether we should get water 
upon these lots we laid out tour acres along by the pond also by 
lots." Then follows the laying of the pond lots which are assigned 
to the same individuals when it is added "there is also a sufficient 
way to be left along by the pond side about or below the houses.* 

5thly, — It is agreed that every purchaser shall not keep above 
twenty head of cattle upon the Great Neck for a share. 

6thly, — We laid out twenty acres to share next to Jonathan 
Hatch's ground lying upon the sea and nmning 200 rods towards the 
woods." This tract is then divided into 13 strips about 16 rods 
wide, and assigned to the same individuals as the former, Isaac 
Robinson taking the last or 13th strip. Then follow the bounds, viz : 
".\11 these lots are to be bounded on the upper end by a line from 
the pond that is about the head of Peter Blossom's lot and shall nm 
upon the same point of the compass as the sea line at the foot. 
The lots are to all the proprietors before mentioned. We set to our 

* The town still claims 11 wixy I'roii) tlic street to this f Fresh] pond. Ij'ing 

aloikg tljc South side of the burying ground and wliich was undouhtedly the 
original way reserved tor a town watering place. 



HISTOB T OF FALMO UTH. 1 7 

hands the 3rd day of December, 1661. Thomas Lathrop, Isaac 
Robinson acting for Capt. Thomas and drew lots for Goodman 
Annabel, Jonathan Hatch. T ames Harnljn . Thomas Ewer for myself 
and John Shipman, Peter Blossom — mark p. James Cobb, Vv'illiam 
Nelson, Samuel Hinckley acting for myself and John Jenkins." It 
is then added "Jo^^than Hatch's eight acres lying upon the sea and 
bounded by the Herring River on the west, by Peter Blossom on the 
east and by the pond on the north." 

This first company of 14 men probably purchased of the natives 
a tract bordering on the sea coast extending from Woods Hole to 
what was called Five Mile River on the East and extending back 
about 4 or 5 miles. 

Five Mile River is now known as Dexter's River, the head of 
said river being in a swamp about 40 or 50 rods to the South of 
Coonamesset Pond and formed the northeast boundary of the origi- 
nal township. The northern boundary extended on a straight line 
from this point to a large rock on the north side of Hog Island 
Harbor, known as Chapoquoit Rock. When this boundary was 
estabHshed it ran, as it was expressed "from the edge of one high hill 
to another," and several years after a controversy arose respecting 
this line which occasioned much dispute. These high hills were 
of long but gradual ascent and by one party it was contended that 
the edge of these hills was at their base, whilst the other maintained 
that the edge was at the top. The parties appealed to an aged 
Indian, named John Horton, who said he could tell them all about 
the line. "It went", said he, "neither by the top nor bottom, but by 
a certain great rock about half way between ;" (as we generally find 
the right to lie about half way between two contending parties.) 
But, said the disputants, there is no such great rock on the hill as you 
describe. "Well," said the Indian, "go with me." They followed 



i8 niSTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

him to a large pile of brush. "Here" said he "is the rock where 
people established the bound and every time they passed thereafter 
they put on a bough." They removed the brush and it was even so, 
and this settled the controversy for all time. This Indian, John, 
lived to great age, and Mr. Prince Gifford, now about 80 years of 
age, relates many incidents of bygone days as he learned them when 
a lad of 16 years from this aged Indian." 

Within the first six years several new settlers arrived and in 1667 
the company order that John Rowland and Thomas Lathrop acting 
for said company, shall employ three men to lay out certain meadows 
and upland in lots to each proprietor, as equally as they can as to 
quality and quantity. These agents appoint Bama Lumbert, William 
Gifford and John Smith to attend to this duty and bind themselves 
for said company "to see these men satisfied for their pains when 
they have done their work." The lands in the vicinity of the first 
settlement being all taken up a number of persons purchased of the 
company a tract at Woods's Hole and commenced the settlement of 
that part of the town. The records say — "On the 23rd July, 1677, 
there was a meeting of the inhabitants of Succanesset and the pro- 
prietors of the lands, when it was agreed the lands at Wood's Hole, 
Little Harbor, should be laid out equally to every purchaser accord- 
ing to his proportion beginning -at the south end of the Little Neck 
and running west and by north to the Great Harbor. Parallel to this 
strip were twelve others, averaging about 7 rods in width and were 
numbered from i to 13 and assigned to the following persons, viz : 
John Robinson, William Gifford, Moses Rowley, Sen., Samuel Filley, 
Thomas Lewis, Joseph Hull, Nathaniel Skiff, John Jenkins, Thomas 
Griffin, Thomas Johnson, Jonathan Hatch, Sen., William Weeks, 
Thomas Ewer. 

They then laid out ten acres to a share in Great Neck. "The 



HISTOET OF FALMOUTH. 19 

first lot lies in the neck, being on the foot path that runs through the 
neck and south-east towards the Sound." Then after describing 
three lots lying contiguous it is added — "Then we laid out six lots on 
the East side of Little Harbor — the first lot runs east and by north 
and runs fourscore long and twenty rods broad, and on that range 
lie six lots (at Nobsque Point twenty), the last lot joins to the 
Dutchman's Pond, so called. Then we laid out three lots at Nobsque 
Point — twenty-six rods broad and runs to the pond and to the sea 
too. The 1 2th lot is 20 rods broad and forescore long — the 13th 
lot lies beyond Ackaposket, and butts on the sea." These lots were 
assigned to the same individuals before mentioned. 

It seems that the first settlers of Wood's Hole suffered much 
inconvenience for want of a blacksmith, and they laid out 1 2 acres 
of upland at Ackaposket,* with the marsh thereabout, for the 
encouragement of a smith to come and settle among them. 

The year following, 1678, the lands at Hog Island or West Fal- 
mouth were laid out. The first settlers here were William Gifford 
Sen., William Gifford Jr., John Weeks and William Weeks. William 
Gifford Sen., seems to have been a man of considerable importance 
and was a large land holder at Hog Island or Great Siperwisset. As 
a specimen of the contracts on record I have copied one of about this 
date that was entered into by William Gifford and one of my ances- 
tors — John Jenkins. It is as follows : 

"This record testifieth that WiUiam Gifford hath exchanged 
with John Jenkins for three-quarters of a share in the Great Hill 
Neck, and John Jenkins hath given William Gifford liberty to take 
up ten acres of upland that belongs of right to his share, and Wil- 
Uam Gifford hath made choice of Hog Island and the land meas- 

* It is not known where Ackaposket was located. From the mention that 

is made of marsh in its vicinity, I incline to the opinion that It was on the Bay 
side, not far from the present village of Wood's Hole. 



20 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

urers having laid out to William Gilford ten acres of upland more or 
less lying at the North-west end of Hog Island and contains all ye 
upland that is there, for William Gifford to have and enjoy on ye 
conditions following. That is to say — If William Gifford, his heirs, 
successors or assigns shall well and truly keep off the said Island, 
neat cattle, horse kind forever from the fourteenthday of April to 
the 15 th day of October, yearly, this being the sixth day of March, 
1688, and also that Thomas Bowerman shall without damage to him 
dry his fodder on said Island and to dry his fodder ye point of upland 
within ye said William Gifford's field next adjoining to his house and 
a way to fetch it off — all which conditions being well and truly ob- 
served by ye said WiUiam Gifford, his successors or assigns — then 
ye said William Gifford, his heirs or assigns to enjoy ye said Island 
forever. But if the said William Gifford, his heirs, successors or as- 
signs shall not observe the conditions above expressed but pasture the 
said Island the time that this record doth forbid him to do with neat 
cattle or horse kind then it shall be lawful for ye inhabitants of Suc- 
canesset to take possession of ye said Island called Hog Island as 
their just right and to turn ye said William Gifford, his heirs succes- 
sors or assigns off the said Island without suit of law or any other 
trouble. In witness whereof I the above said William Gifford have 
set to my hand the sixth day of March in ye year 1668 — William Gif- 
ford, Thomas Lewis Sen. in the behalf of the inhabitants of Suc- 
canesset and by their order." 

We find in 1681 an order of the court in Plymouth defining the 
boundary between Sandwich and Succanesset, which boundary was 
probably ordered soon after the purchase was made. The lots in- 
cluded within this new territory were not run out until after 1 700, an 
account of which may be given in a future lecture. 

I have been so fortunate as to obtain a document signed by Gov. 



HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 2i 

Bradford in 1688, confirming a grant of land in the extreme north 
part of the town to John Nye and Ebenezer Nye, sons of Benjamin 
Nye of Sandwich, who were the first settlers of North Falmouth. 
This grant however covered but a small part of the territory, being 
less than 200 acres. A general division of the land and settlement 
in this region did not take place until several years later, — somewhere 
about 1 710-12. 

As this is the only original grant I have been able to find, I have 
copied it as correctly as I was able, it being somewhat worn and in 
part obliterated. 

"To all people to whom these presents shall come, 
Greeting : 

Whereas the honourable the council established at Ply- 
mouth in the county of Devon for the planting, ruling, ordering and 
governing of New England in America by virtue and authority of 
Letters patent under the great seal of England, etc., for and in con- 
sideration that William Bradford, Esq., and his associates had at their 
own proper costs and charges planted and inhabited a town called by 
the name of New Plymouth in New England aforesaid and for their 
better subsistance and encouragement to proceed in so pious a work, 
especially tending to the propagation of religion, and the great en- 
couragement of trade to his majesty's Realm, and*to the advancement 
of the public plantation : the said council by their patent or grant 
under common seal signed by the right Honorable Earle of Warwick 
president of said council — bearing date the 1 3th day of January in 
the sixth year of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lord King Charles 
the first. Anno Domini 1629, did give, grant, assign and confirm unto 
the said William Bradford, his heirs, associates and assigns forever, 
all that part of New England in America aforesaid and tract or tracts 
of land that lie within or between a certain rivulet or rundlet there 



22 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

commonly called Cohasset, alias Conihasset towards the North and 
the river commonly called Narragansett River towards the South and 
the great Western ocean towards the east and between and within 
other lines and limits in said patent or grant more at large expressed, 
and all lands, rivers, creeks, ponds, fishings, hereditaments, profits 
and commodities situated and lying or raising within or between any 
of the said limits and bounds, together with all rights, royalties, privi- 
leges etc., in and by the said grant, whereunto reference being had, 
doth and may more at large appear, and whereas divers parcels of 
said land hath for the ends aforesaid been granted by the said William 
Bradford or his declared associates or assigns by power derived from 
him, unto sundry particular persons who by virtue of said grants have 
had for many years the quiet and peaceable possession thereof and 
yet for want of some formalities of law, not so precisely observed in 
their first and raw beginnings, diverse questions and debates may 
arise about the title of the several grantees unto the lands granted as 
aforesaid, amongst others a certain parcel or tract of lands granted 
unto John Nye and Ebenezer Nye both sons of Benjamin Nye of 
Sandwich (whose right herein hath for many years been quietly and 
peaceably possessed by them the said John Nye and Ebenezer Nye), 
for the more sure making whereof — Know ye, that I William Branford 
of New Plymouth, County of Plymouth and in the Colony of Ply- 
mouth in New England aforesaid Esq., son and heir of the above 
named William Bradford Esq. deceased — will in performance of the 
same intent and meaning of the said William Bradford my father in 
said grant and for the ends above mentioned as for divers other good 
causes and considerations me at this time favourably moving, have 
granted remised, released and forever quit claimed and by these 
presents for me and my heirs, do grant, remise, release and forever 
quit claim unto the said John Nye and Ebenezer in the sure and 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 23 

peaceable possession and seisen now being, and to their heirs and 
assigns forever all such right, estate, title, interest, possession or 
demand whatsoever which I the said William Bradford ever had, now 
have or ought to have in or to all or singular the messuages, lands, 
tenements, grounds, soils, waters, rivers, creeks, fishings, heredita- 
ments, royalties, minerals, profits, privileges and conditions whatso- 
ever situate, lying and being, arising, happening or anewing, or 
which shall arise, happen or anew in or within the limits or bounds 
of a certain parcel of land lying and being at a place commonly 
called by the Indians Mayhegansitt adjacent to Saconesset in the 
county of Barnstable in New England and aforesaid, limited and 
bounded as foUoweth ; namely — Northerly beginning at a small 
Harbour or Cove running up into the meadow and so bounded by 
the salt water from that harbour unto a high hill, being a ditch cut in 
the side of the hill — and easterly bounded from the said hill on a 
straight line to a small orchard and on the same straight line to the 
hills, and southerly bounded from another harbour or cove that runs 
up between the lands of said John and Ebenezer Nye and the lands 
now in occupation or tenure of Daniel Butler and so extending as 
that river runs which issues into that harbour until it come near to 
the mouth in which that river issues, and so on a straight line south- 
erly up to the hill, and bounded also by the salt water from the firs 
mentioned harbour unto the last mentioned harbour between their 
lands and the lands in occupation of the said Daniel Butle: Ul 
which parcels of land bounded as aforesaid by estimation one hun- 
dred and fifty acres be it more or less ; so, that is to say, that neither 
I, the said William Bradford, nor any heirs from henceforth will or 
may have any right, estate or demand of, in, or to said premises. 
Know ye also that I the said WilUam Bradford for the consideration 
aforesaid have approved and by these presents do bind my heirs as 



24 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

much as in my lyeth unto the aforesaid John Nye and Ebenezer Nye 
in their full and peaceable possession and to their and to each of 
their ht irs and assigns and for all singular, the aforesaid lands within 
the siii 1 bounds and limits to have and to hold unto the said John and 
Ebentz^r Nye as to each of them and each of their assigns forever 
in manner and form, following, viz : To hold in common all such 
waste lands within the said limits as yet lie in common and undivided 
for having firewood for common use until they shall see cause other- 
wise to order the same and to hold in severalty and not jointly, to 
each (.1 them, all and every such messuage, tenement and lands as 
each or.Q of them is severally and particularly possessed of, in each 
one of their particular and general right and interest therein respec- 
tively according to the known boundary thereof and according to 
each and every of their heirs and assigns respectively forever 
ana I :> the only proper use and behoof of them and each of 
their hsirs and assigns respectively forever. To be holden of 
his M liesty as of his manor of East Greenwich in the county of 
Kent in the realm of England in fiee and common yielding and 
paying to our Sovereign Lord the King, his heirs and success- 
ors f ;rever one sixth part of the ores of the mines of gold 
and r^ilver and one other fifth part thereof to the said presi- 
dent and council which shall be had, possessed and assigned 
within the limits aforesaid for all levies and demands whatso- 
ever as is expressed in said patent or grant of said council. 
And 1, the said William Bradford and my heirs, all and sing- 
ular, the. said premises with the appurtenances, to the afore- 
said John Nye and Ebenezer Nye their and each of their 
heirs and assigns respectively against me, the said William 
Bradford and my heirs, will forever hereafter warrant and de- 
iQ\v\ by these presents. In witness whereof I have hereunto 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 25 

set my hand and seal this first day of February, A. D. 1688. 
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of 
John Hathaway, Sen., 
Rowland Cotton, 
William Bassett, 
William Bradford. 
The within mentioned William Bradford approved the deed 
aforesaid and acknowledged this instrument to be his act and 
deed before me — Thos. Hinckley of his Majesty's Council."* 

The town received an act of incorporation in 1686. 

From 1685 to 1689 liberty was given to sundry individuals 
to take up land in the eastern part of the township. The 
bounds specified on the records, consisting mostly of maple 
trees and ponds not particularly named, it would now be dif- 
ficult to trace. These settlers were James Perciful and James 
Lewis, Joseph Hull, Robt. Harper and John Weeks. 

James Lewis, it is said " hath taken his at the North side 
of the spruce swamp and to join it to the Indian line that 
comes from the head of the^ Five Mile River to Tateket. 
John Weeks seems to have been the largest land holder in 
this part of the township. The first public road or high- 
way was laid out in 1687. The record runs thus: "Same 
year, 1687, a King's Highway was laid out 40 feet wide 
through the land that was Thomas Johnson's to the Little 
Harbor and from the land that was Thomas Johnson's to Jos- 
eph Hatch's, where the way now goes and so through the 
Five Mile River." In 1690 there was a general meeting of 

. • This suggests to an arithmetical mind the question, If such an 

arid waste of words was necessai-y to convey 200 acres of land how many 
barren acres of manuscript would be required to convey a township or a 
western wheat field? [E. H. J.] 



26 HISTOEY OF FALMOUTH. 

the proprietors at the house of Jonathan Hatch, when they or- 
dered that "all the undivided lands within said Suckanesset 
should be laid out into lots and several lotments as soon as 
it conveniently can be, and they have made choice of John 
Jenkins as their agent to obtain two suitable persons to lay 
out said undivided lands into lots in sundry divisions as the 
persons that shall lay it out shall think most suitable and 
convenient for the proprietors thereof and that they are to 
pay the charge of laying out of it, each one to bear his 
part of the charge according to their interest therein. 

William Wy.itt and Thomas Bowerman were employed for 
this business and all the undivided lands were run out in 
March, of the following year. The bounds are particularly 
described. The vacant lands at Woods Hole were first run 
out and bounded, then the hill lands, in the region of Hog 
Island, and finally the plain lands, which seem to have been 
included within a Hne "running South-west and by south, that 
is, the range from the river head to Tateket and butting on 
Christopher Gifford's land and the hills — and a north north- 
east line from a great rock and a bush marked, which 
is the range of the hill lots." There being no public way 
then laid out it was expressly provided that everyone and his 
heirs forever should have perfect liberty and privilege of all 
convenient cart and drift- ways — accompanied with a strict in- 
junction for every passenger to be very particular "to put up 
such gates and bars as shall be set for the convenience of 
the owners of the land ;" an injunction that might be prof- 
itably repeated for the benefit of succeeding generations. 

We discover early signs of a public spirit among our fa- 
thers; and in this final division of lands a reserve was made 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 27 

* 
of certain "meadow land to be sold and the money or pro- 
duce to be for the use of the inhabitants as a major part 
of them shall agree." This year, 1691, Moses Rowley takes 
land and settles at Quisset. 

Nothing worthy ot particular notice is found in the records 
for the succeeding nine years which brings us to 1 700, when 
there seems to have been an attempt on the part of the 
town to reduce its records to more system and order. Thos. 
Lewis was chosen clerk of the proprietors. He appears to 
have been an accomplished man. His hand writing was ele- 
gant, his orthography perfect and his sentences grammatically 
correct. Few records, at the present day, probably would 
appear to greater advantage as to beauty and accuracy than 
his. Unfortunately, however, two other persons were appoint- 
ed as assistants, who seem to have taken upon themselves 
most of the duties assigned, and whose records it requires 
both the skill of a Philadelphia lawyer and the patience of a 
Job to decipher. The record runs thus; "At a meeting of 
ye proprietors of ye Land of Suckanesset (aUas) Falmouth on 
ye 19th day of March, 1700, the said proprietors did then, 
by vote, make choice of Thomas Lewis to be their clerk. 
The said proprietors did then also order and agree by vote 
that all their records of their lands should be transcribed and 
taken out of ye Town's book of Records, and recorded in 
their new book. The said proprietors did further order and 
agree by vote that Thomas Lewis, Moses Hatch and Thomas 
Bowerman should transcribe said records as aforesaid and that 
they should be paid for what they did transcribe by ye said 
proprietors according to each one's records and rights in said 
lands." 



28 HISTOET OF FALMOUTH. 

We here find reference to another book of records, dis- 
tinct from the Land Records, and called "The Town's Book 
of Records." Numerous records of lands commencing in 1690 
are inserted in the Proprietor's Book preceded by several 
blank leaves and are undoubtedly the records referred to in 
the vote just quoted, and taken from "the town's book." 
The same year 1700 a new "town's book" was commenced 
and the old one probably destroyed. Although they "selected 
all that was needful to be taken out of the old book and 
placed in the new book" yet it is greatly to be regretted 
that this old town's book should have been destroyed. Its 
pages would probably have given us further insight into the 
trials and labours of our fathers and enabled us to trace more 
minutely the descent of families, the records of which are so 
generally imperfect. Had not the First Town's Book been 
destroyed we should undoubtedly have learned from it some- 
thing respecting the old French War. From the Colonial rec- 
ords I find there was Town action here relative to this war. 
In 1689 a levy was made on the Colony to raise funds 
for an expedition to Canada. The proportion for this town 
was one pound, being one and i-igth of the amount levied 
on the Cape towns. Plymouth Colony agreed to furnish 56 
men for the expedition against Quebec and this town's pro- 
portion was one man who was equipped at the expense of 
the town, with a "well fixed gun, sword or hatchet, a horn 
or cartouch box, suitable ammunition and a knapsack." 

The town had now been settled just 41 years. From the 
commencement when there were fourteen men on a small 
neck of land we find the settlers spread from Woods Hole 
on the west to Five Mile River of the east, and to Hog Is- 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 29 

land and Tateket on the north. The land had become too 
strait for them and in the next period we shall find them ex- 
tending their settlement both east and west. 



I have thus far said nothing respecting their ecclesiastical 
history, preferring to take that up by itself. A brief account 
of their action on ecclesiastical matters will close this portion 
of their history. 

Our fathers were pious men. Their primary motive in re- 
moving to the New England Colony was that they might trans- 
mit to their posterity what they deemed a pure Christianity 
free from the corrupting influences of the Old World. Their 
pastor, Rev. Mr. Lathrop, removed with them from Scituate to 
Barnstable, and in removing from their religious privileges at 
that place to this, it is natural to suppose they would make 
early provision for the support of public worship. The re- 
ligious history of the first settlers of Falmouth should be par- 
ticularly dear to us, for we find them in advance of most 
other Christians, of that day, in respect to religious toleration. 
One of the first and leading settlers as we have already seen, 
was Isaac Robinson and what were the lessons he had learned 
from his puritan father? They were like the following: "Fol- 
low no man any farther then he follows the Lord Jesus 
Christ." "I am confident God has yet much truth to break 
forth from His holy word and follow the truth whenever 
and by whomsoever taught." These lessons of the pious, 
catholic and learned Robinson were not lost on the son, and 
when persecution in the New Worid lifted its arm, he was 
the first who dared openly to endeavor to avert the blow. 
For this he sacrificed the favours of the government and it 



30 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

was this that led him and his associates, who probably sym- 
pathized with him to commence a new settlement at 
this place. It has been said that the Quakers even here 
have suffered persecution — that their property has been destrain- 
ed and I have heard of a story of one Butler, a Friend, 
who was tied to a cart and whipped through the town. If 
such scenes have been enacted I cannot believe they were 
approved by the authorities of this town.* The leading settler 
here was actually disfranchised and was not restored to his 
rights until 1673, for the very reason that he interfered to 
protect the Quakers from persecution. In the absence of all 
allusions in the early records to such occurrences we must 
conclude that, if the Quakers were persecuted in this town, it 
must have been on the authority and in obedience to the laws 
of the General Court established at Plymouth and not as the 
result of a persecuting spirit on the part of our own inhabi- 
tants. 

There is no doubt that the first company of settlers 
here were all Congregationalists, but a meeting of Friends or 
Quakers was early established. Isaac Robinson had embraced 
some of the peculiarities of that sect before leaving Barnsta- 
ble and it is not improbable that a knowledge of this fact, 
he being a man of great influence in the colony, led mem- 
bers of that sect, to look to this as a favourable place to 
establish their worship. From the records of the Friends' 
Monthly meetings, at Sandwich, it appears that a meeting for 

* Since the above was written I have found on the records of the 

town, an application from the "persecuted Quaker Daniel Butler" above 
alluded to, to the to^mi to be released from liabilities to the minister on 
account of his being a Friend. This request was granted by the town, 
thus showing, I think, that if said Butler was persecuted it was not the 
result of town action 



SISTOST OF FALMOUTS. 31 

discipline was established in Falmouth in 1709, but a meeting 
for worship had existed for many years previous. I think it 
probable the first founders of the Society of Friends in this 
town arrived about six years after the first settlers and tha 
William Gifibrd and Robert Harper were of this number and 
that their meeting at West Falmouth was established about 
1685. Probably Isaac Robinson, Jr., a son of the first set- 
tler, joined this meeting, — he settled at West Falmouth, — and 
Isaac Robinson is one of the first names to be found on the 
records of that society. We have no account of any disa- 
greement between these two sects, which grew up side by side. 
They seem to have accorded to each other the rights of con- 
science and to have performed for each other the various of- 
fices of good neighborhood. 

By reference to the laws of Plymouth Colony it appears 
that no new settlements were too be made to remote from a 
place of public worship unless they were strong enough to 
support a minister of the gospel. From Rev. Mr. Pratt, 
many years pastor of the Congregational church at West Barn- 
stable, and who has published some interesting statistics rela- 
ting to the churches in this county, I learn that the first 
settlers of our town, being too weak to support the Gospel 
among them, continued their relation with the church at 
"Great Marshes," and were regular attendants at that place of 
worship until a short time previous to 1700. Referring again 
to the published laws of Plymouth Colony we find the fol- 
lowing legislation in reference to this, then new setlement, in 
1663 — only three years after the arrival of the settlers. 

It was enacted by the court '"that it be commanded to 
the settlers at Saconesset to apply themselves in some effect- 



$2 EISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

ual way for the increase of their numbers as they may carry 
on things to their better satisfaction both in civil and relig- 
ious respects, especially that they endeavour to procure an able, 
Godly man for the dispensing of God's word among them; 
and for their quickening and encouragement, doth order that 
all such lands in the place though not inhabited, shall be liable 
to be rated in some measure of proportion, for the defraying 
of such charges as shall necessarily arise concerning the premises." 

The first provision for the support of pubUc worship we 
find recorded in 1681, as follows. "It is also ordered and 
hereby granted that the people and Society of Sucknesset do 
set apart about 30 acres of upland and proportionable parcels 
of meadow thereunto as may be suitable for the help and en- 
couragement of such fit person as doth or may be helpful to 
them in teaching the good word of God among them and be 
perpetually for such an end successively. Pl}Tnouth, the 13th 
July, 1 68 1, by order of Court — Nathaniel Morton, Sec'y. 

A true copy of the Court Record. Entered in the 
Book of Records of Sucknesset the 20th May, 1686." 

Then follows the action of the town. "We, the inhabi- 
tants of Sucknesset, being desirous to uphold and to our abil- 
ity to maintain the public preaching of the word of God 
amongst us, but considering the smallness of our people do 
therefore think it to be necessary for us to provide and set 
apart some lands and meadow or marsh, which may be a 
help and encouragement to any fit person that is or may be 
helpful to us or our posterity after us in that good work, 
and ha\nng obtained some help from the court to encourage 
us in such a good work as appeared on record bearing date 
the 13th July, 1 68 1, and having understood that the first 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. - 33 

purchasers of the lands here in Sucknesset were not unmind- 
fial of such a thing, but did leave a twenty acre lot void at 
that time, the which we will and are minded to lay for such 
an end, and having obtained of the proprietors of the lands 
here at a general meeting in Sucknesset that Johnathan Dun- 
ham should have ten acres of land and all the skirt of Marsh or 
meadow about the bass pond, and all the marsh on the 
North side of Quassamut, as appears on Record bearing date 
the 23rd of July, 1677, and now having obtained of the said 
Johnathan Dunham by purchase all the right or interest he 
had in Sucknesset of lands and housing, marsh and meadow, 
do therefore finally agree that the lands aforesaid, that is to 
say, forty acres of upland in the twenty acre lots, and half a 
share of marsh meadow lying at Great Siperwisset and a dwelling 
house and about two acres of upland adjoining to it, with all 
the skirts of marsh or meadow ground about the bass pond or 
on Quassamut Neck that was not divided to men's lots, that 
all the aforementioned lands with housing, marsh or meadow 
shall be, and remain to be forever to be improved for the help 
and encouragement of any fit person that doth or may be 
employed in teaching the good word of God amongst us or 
our posterity after us, and to be perpetually to such an end 
successively without any alteration or change forever. 

The above written agreement was voted, the 6th day of 
June, 1687, and ordered to be recorded by the inhabitants of 
Sucknesset in their Book of Records. 

Thomas Lewis, Clerk." 

Thus we see our fathers recognized the principle that "the 
labourer is worthy of his hire." They valued a learned as well 
as a pious ministry. The purchase of a dwelling-house with 



34 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

quite a comfortable farm in their then weak state for the en- 
couragement of a fit person to preach to them the good word 
of God, shows the estimate they put on the Christian minis- 
try ; and the sacrifices they made to sustain it (as will appear 
as the history proceeds) mark them as men of enlarged and 
liberal views, furnishing us, their decendants with bright ex- 
amples worthy of our imitation. 

The next section will embrace a period of time extending 
from 1700 to 1774, just before the commencement of the revo- 
lutionar}' war. 




Section 2d, from 1700 to 1774. 



We now find the ''Town's Book" a record distinct from the 
"Proprietor's Book," and as the first page is a pretty fair 
specimen of the ancient way of keeping records I will give you 
a list of its contents. It begins thus — "Page i. This is Fal- 
mouth Town Book, 6 shilling cost. S. P. To record all mar- 
riages, births and business and the marks of cattle and all 
that is needful to be taken out of the old book and placed 
with this, with all Town business that concerns the Town, but 
not lands, begins the 25th day of October, 1700. Then 
comes a sort of general index, after which the following rec- 
ord of a town meeting is inserted. 

"The loth day of Dec. 1701 the town being orderly 
warned and assembled together it was voted that Mr. Shiver- 
ick was now of this Town minister." Next follows a record 
of a Town meeting that occurred some time previous to the 
one before recorded. Page 45, To\vn Officers oaths. Then 
the following : "The ear mark of Joseph Gifford — gives his 
creatures a mackerel tail in left ear and a cut under the same." 



36 HJSTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

Then there is a scrap of an account. "8 shillings is paid 
for putting of the line — 3 shillings for Philip Lathrop and 
I pound, 10 shilUngs for Mr. Shiverick." Then follows a 
marriage, a publishment and two births, the last of which is as 
follows : "Isaac Grew had a son bom this loth day of June,. 
1700, and his name is Jonathan." Here we have all the 
variety we could desire. One thing is very singular in these 
records, namely the order of dates. On the same page will 
be foxmd events recorded that occurred perhaps 30 or 40 
years apart. It would be expected that the record of the 
first town meeting that occurred after the opening of this 
book would be found on the first page, but we find it on 
the third page. This great irregularity together with the 
great difficulty of deciphering much of the blind hand writing 
has more than once tempted me to throw the records aside and 
to give up as hopeless the attempt to read through them. But 
the interest I have felt in the transactions of our fathers has 
induced me to persevere. The first record in this book is 
interesting as it gives us the amount of money assessed on 
the inhabitants and the objects to which it was appropriated. 
It is as follows : 

"The 25 th day of Oct. 1700 the town of Falmouth as- 
sembled together and it was then voted by said Town that there 
should be raised nineteen pound and five shillings and all the 
inhabitants of said town be taxed to defray the charge of the 
same toward this year. For Mr. Shiverick jQiS- For the 
repairing of the pound jQ2, 5s. For assessors ;£i, los. For 
Sylvanus Hatch los." From a record which we find the year 
following, 1 701, we infer that our fathers met with many dis- 
couragements and had to encounter many formidable enemies 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 37 

in the raising of their crops. Fowls of the air and creeping 
things innumerable threatened to devour the crops before they 
came to maturity. Their most troublesome enemy at this time 
was the black-bird, a real com stealer; and a war of exter- 
mination was declared against them in the following vote : 

"The 2Sth day of March, 1701, the Town of Falmouth as- 
sembled and it was voted and agreed to, that every house keeper 
should kill six old black-birds or twelve young black-birds, or four 
jay birds, by the 15th day of June next after the date hereof, 
and deliver them to the selectmen of this town or some of them, 
and they are to keep an accoimt of every man's birds so deliv- 
ered to them, and it is further ordered every house keeper that 
shall fail to kill their sum of birds by that time shall pay three 
shillings to be added to their tax."* 

About this time we find frequent allusions to the Town 
House, — by which it appears the town at this early period 
owned a house for its convenience in transacting the public 
business, but what was its size or form and where it stood, 
I have not been able to ascertain. In 1703 we find the 
following vote, "To pay John Robinson two shillings for nails ; 
Thomas Basset four shillings for work about the town house." 

1705 appears to have been a year of unusual excitement 
with the inhabitants and party spirit raged as high probably 
as at any subsequent time among their descendants. It seems 

• Who were house keepers? The following was the law of the Colony 

under the head of town affairs : "That none be allowed to be house keepers 
or build any cottage or dwelling house until they have allowance from the 
governor, some magisti-ate or the selectmen of that town; and that special 
care be taken that no single person that is of evil conversation or that 
hath not arms to serve the country, be suffered to keep such house or live 
alone; and if upon due warning such person do not put himself into some 
well-governed family, it shaU be in the pow«r of the next magistrate or 
the selectmen of the town where he lives to pat him to service. " 



38 mSTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

that some of their number were more public spirited than 
others and felt the necessity of making more liberal appro- 
priations for the public good. They were opposed by a 
powerful party whose watch-word was "retrenchment," and who 
carried their opposition so far as to "repudiate" the public 
doings of the town. They founded their opposition to the 
proceedings of the town on their regard for the poor of the 
town, but there is reason to fear that their motives were not 
altogether so pure as they professed to be. I will briefly 
give the facts in the case, by which we shall learn that re- 
pudiation is not a modem doctrine, it was in full force and 
triumphant in this town in 1705. 

It appears that at a public town meeting, held the 15 th 
day of October, 1704, the town voted a rate of 42d. on the 
inhabitants. This was regarded by the retrenchment party as 
rank oppression ; "and in consideration " as they say " of their 
unableness to pay the same, and the great oppression there 
is thence like to be brought upon the poor, they were de- 
termined to resist payment. " What was this extravagance of 
the Uberal party? The town had raised ^^42. Of this, ;^ii 
was to go for the payment of a debt the town had contract- 
ed, the county tax was to be paid out of the remaining ;^3i 
and the balance appropriated to town purposes, being about 
jQs or jQt more than had been usually appropriated for 
this purpose. Opposition to this measure ran so high that in 
the following spring a town meeting was called to condemn 
the proceedings of the former meeting. As an excuse they 
allege that the meeting in question was illegally warned and 
that it was thinly attended. On the 17th of April, 1705 they 
voted "that the vote of the former meeting shall now end 



SISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 39 

and from henceforth shall be of no force or effect" But 
this did not free them from all trouble. The tax had been 
assessed and the bills committed to the constable for collection 
including the tax due to the county, that could not so easily 
be cancelled by a vote. To obviate all difficulties of this 
nature they finally passed a vote to pay the constable one 
half of the tax set against their respective names — that he 
should pay the county tax first, and pay over the balance to 
the selectmen. 

They also voted that the constable* be and hereby is dis- 
charged from gathering any more of said 42 pounds. 

There is another circumstance that shows the niggardly 
spirit of this party. They succeeded in obtaining a vote 
from the town at the meeting alluded to, to appoint an 
agent to apply to the court of general sessions holden at 
Barnstable for an abatement of what said court had been 
pleased to assess on this town and Timothy Robinson was 
elected to this honourable office. It appears from the records 
that the triumph of this very disinterested party, overflowing 

• We find in the early records fi-equent allusions to the constables. 

The office of constable in those days was one of great responsibility. The 
selectmen were a court for the trial of all cases under 40 shillings and the 
constable was to serve their executions and collect fines and taxes, He 
had the charge of highways, and was occasionally "water bailiff" or as 
we now say Custom House Officer. In fact he was the most important off- 
icer in the town. He was allowed to appoint deputies. He had a black 
staff tipped with brass as a badge of his office. This staff was furnished 
at the public expense and was transmitted to his successors in office. 
Among his duties these are enumerated: "To apprehend Quakers, notice 
such as sleep in meetings and do the town's whipping." Following was 
the law respecting the duty of constable in reference to the Quakers : 
" That if any person or persons, commonly called Quakers shall come into 
any town of this government the constable shall apprehend him or them 
and he shall whip them with rods, so it exceed not 16 stripes and to give 
them a pass to depart the government." Before the constable could act 
he must subscribe to the following oath. "You swear to be truly loyal to 
onr Sovereign Lord King, his heirs and successors. You shall faithfully 



40 HI8T0BT OF FALMOUTH. 

with pity and compassion for the poor of the town was of 
short continuance, for in 1707 only two years after, we find 
the town passing, with no signs of opposition, votes much 
more liberal than those which were repudiated now. There 
is abundant proof contained in these scanty records that our 
fathers taken together were a noble minded, public spirited, 
generous hearted set of men and the facts here recorded only 
go to show that in every community there will always be 
found men of little souls, narrow, contracted minds, who will 
be ever ready to sacrifice the public good to save their own 
pockets, and all out of their regard for the poor of the town ! 
We find nothing more than the ordinary business of the town 
recorded until 171 2, at which date we turn to the 'Proprietor's 
Book ', and find the north-east part of the township, in- 
cluded in what was known as the " new purchase, " first laid 
out. That part of the township known as the " new pur- 
chase " was contained as nearly as can now be ascertained, 
within the following bounds. Extending from a line drawn 
from Hog Island, or West Falmouth, to the head of Five 

serve in the office of constable in the town of Falmouth for the present 
year accorrting to that measure of wisdom, understanding and discretion 
God has given you. In which time you shall diligently see that his Maj- 
esty's peace commanded be not broken, but shall carry the person or per- 
sons olTending before the Governor of this corporation or some of his as- 
sistants and there attend the hearing of the case and such order as shall 
be given you. You shall apprehend all suspicious persons and bring them 
before the Governor or some one of his assistants as aforesaid. You shall 
duly and truly serve such warrants, and give such summons as shaU be 
directed unto you from the Governor or assistants as before mentioned 
and shall labi>m- to advance the peace and happiness of this corporation, 
and oppose any thing that shall seem to annoy the same by all due means 
and courses. So help you God who is the God of truth and the Punisher 
of falsehood." The constable had great discretionary power. He was au- 
thorized to apprehend without warrant such as were overtaken in drink, 
swearing. Sabbath-breaking, vagrrant persons, night walkers, frequenters of 
houses licenied to sell beer or wine; but he must carry them before the 
next magistrate for examination. 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 41 

Mile River or Coonemesset Pond, north to Sandwich line, 
west to the grants previously given to the settlers as North 
Falmouth and from Five Mile River east to the Indian or 
Mashpee line. When this tract was purchased, I have not 
been able to ascertain.* 

"At a proprietors' meeting of the old and new purchase 
in Falmouth the 3rd day of June, 1712, Joseph Parker being 
chosen clerk was then sworn accordingly and Major William 
Bassett then chosen Moderator for the day, it was then voted, 
that Lieut. Jonathan Hatch shall have one equal share with 
the other proprietors in the new purchase upon account of 
some former disbursements of his in purchasing the right of 
Crapish Indian in said lands. Same meeting the proprietors 
of the new purchase voted and ordered that the said new 
purchase shall be laid out as soon as conveniently can be or 
so much of it as the person that shall be chosen to lay it 
out shall think needful and convenient to be laid out into 
particular lots and that in laying of it out they shall have 
regard to accommodating each lot with water so far as may 
be conveniently and also have regard to laying out all con- 
venient ways. Same meeting Thomas Bowerman and Philip 
Dexter were chosen to lay out said land and voted, that they 

* The first reference I find on the Proprietor's book to the new pur- 
chase is contained in the following vote. "Voted, Aug. 22d, 1704 that Ebenezer 
Nye, Philip Dexter, Benjanq^n Nye, Sen., Richard Landers, Stephen Harper, 
Benjamin, son of James Lewis, Jonathan Hatch, Jonathan Johnson, Nathan 
Rowley, Joseph Hatch, Jr., Benjamin Nye, Jr., Gideon GiSord and William 
Johnson, having formerly paid their equal part of the purchase for the last 
addition of lands called the new purchase adjoining to Sandwich line, 
which was purchased by Thomas Bowerman and William Gifford as agents 
for said proprietors of F»lmouth lands, who were not of the ancient pro- 
prietors, that they shall each of them have their equal part and right in 
all the said lands with all the old proprietors that have or shall pay 
their part of said parcbaae of said lands." 



42 EI8T0BT OF FALMOUTH. 

shall have three shillings a piece per day for their labor, and 
that they do hire another hand to be with them as cheap as 
they can." Same meeting it was voted "That said Thomas 
Bowerman and Philip Dexter be the persons to act in behalf 
of said purchasers in settling the line between those lands and 
other lands that adjoin upon the same or any part of it." 
The members of this committee appear to have been able and 
judicious men. They proceeded to lay out the lands very ac- 
curately and to the satisfaction of their employers. A com- 
plete record of their doings is found in the Proprietor's Book 
from the 74th to the 82nd page. As many of us are not 
particularly acquainted with the " sheep pasture lots, " it will be 
interesting to follow these surveyors a little while and thus un- 
derstand a little better how the "land lies" in this part of 
our township. We will first give their own introduction to 
their work. "Whereas at a meeting of the proprietors of the 
new purchase ( so called ) in Falmouth held the 3rd day of 
June, 1 712, it was ordered and voted that the said purchase 
should be laid out by Thomas Bowerman and Philip Dexter 
together with another hand whom we were requested to hire, 
all which may more fully appear in the records of the acts 
made at said meeting, and we have accordingly hired Samuel 
Jennings of Sandwich to assist in laying out said lands. And 
first we run a range through the purchase about north-east 
and by north, and south-west and by south, beginning to the 
westward of a little swamp near the line that divides the old 
purchase from the new, and so runs north-west and by north 
to the Sandwich line. This aforesaid range is the westerly 
bound of a vacancy of three rods wide left for a way for 
the proprietors' use and this way divides the purchase into 



SJSTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 43 

two parts, each of which is a particular allotment, and that 
allotment on the westerly side of said way we denominate the 
hill lots, and the other, the plain lots. We began to lay 
out lots near the line between Sandwich and Falmouth, but- 
ting the easterly ends of them all upon the aforesaid way and 
the westerly ends to extend to the utmost bounds of the pur- 
chase, the ran ges of all these hill lots run lengthways west 
north-west from the aforesaid way down towards the Bay or 
salt water." Now follows a record of the bounds of 34 of 
these hill lots which are assigned to the different proprietors. 
I noticed one of these lots was assigned to John Jenkins one 
of my ancestors. The record runs thus : " Thence we meas- 
ured twenty-six rods for the twenty-ninth lot and set a pine 
stake marked xxx for the bounds between the twenty-ninth 
and thirtieth lots. Twenty-ninth lot is John Jenkins." 

This lot as it was originally laid out is now, 1884, in the 
possession of the fourth generation of the same family and same 
name. Having laid out these hill lots, they say : " Now that 
all these before mentioned lots are set off on the line or way 
that divides the purchase into two parts from the first lot 
toward the southward along said line in the said order as they 
are before set down, we reserve in this hill allotment to the 
use of the proprietors, their heirs and assigns the privilege of 
digging clay to carry away or to make brick and to bum them 
at a certain place of clay where people are wont to dig near 
the path that goes from Isaac Robinson's to Benjamin Nye's 
with a convenient way or ways to come to said clay.* 

• It is presumed that if the manufacture of brick ehouki now be com- 
menced in the center of the forest between Sorth and East Falmouth it would 
be said "there is a new thing under the sun." But we should in this 
case have to assent to the saying of the wise man; "The thing that hath 



44 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

We also reserve to the proprietors liberty to order way 
or ways through any of the lots either in the hill or plain 
allotments where it shall be thought convenient and least pre- 
judicial to the owners of the land but so as they that im- 
prove them shall shut gates or bars which shall be set up by 
the owners of the land. " Then follows the laying out of 
the plain lots. They first laid out a way or road four rods 
wide through the easterly part of the township which can be 
traced definitely on the map. These lots, they say butt, a 
part of them on the said way and a part on the county road, 
and the westerly ends butt on the Sandwich road. They laid 
out and bounded thirty- three lots this side of the division line 
and assigned them to individual proprietors. They added a 
few brief explanations and then formally dated the records 
and signed their names. It is believed that the claims to 
the numerous wood lots in this part of the town are well 
established; had this not been the case these ancient records 
defining so accurately the bounds of the original lots would 
prove to be very valuable. 

About this time the town suffered much from the depre- 
dations of wolves. In 1715 the town voted "That we will 
join with Barnstable and Sandwich in the proportion of the 
sum of twenty pounds for every old wolfs head that shall be 
killed " etc. This was quite a heavy tax. Only three months 

been it Is that which shall be ; and that which is is done that which shall be 
done; and there is no new thing under the sun." Finding this reference 
in the records to clay beds in this region having been worked more than 
130 years ago I inquired of a gentleman at East Falmouth who informed 
me that on the highest ground in this region there is an extensive swamp 
on the margin of which are beds of excellent clay. He also informed me 
that from present appearances he should judge there had been extensive 
excavations in times past. Here undoubtedly our fathers were " wont to 
dig" for their supply of brick used in building chimneys in these early 
days. 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 45 

after this vote the town was called on to pay its proportion 
of forty pounds for two old wolfs heads that had been killed 
by some Sandwich men. 

It is generally the case in all newly settled countries that 
controversies arise respecting the boundaries of lands— -such 
disputes are almost unavoidable even where each party is dis- 
posed to contend only for its supposed rights. In 1716 these 
controversies became quite frequent and we find frequent no- 
tices of meetings called by the proprietors for the purpose of 
more particularly defining their boundaries and preventing en- 
croachments on their rights. They seemed now to realize 
the importance of fixing definitely all bounds public and pri- 
vate not only for their own convenience, but to avoid all 
dispute or litigation in future. Meeting after meeting was 
held for this purpose, at which their leading men were ap- 
pointed to fix the bounds and have them recorded, and sev- 
eral assessments were made on the proprietors for defraying 
the expense. They thus showed their good judgment. They 
foresaw the evil arising from a neglect of this duty, and in 
performing it so faithfully have saved their descendants a great 
amount of difficulty and litigation. Their misunderstandings 
among themselves appear to have been amicably settled, and 
it is much to their credit that in all the ancient records I 
have examined there is but one account of a lawsuit growing 
out of this vexed question, and that suit commenced not by 
themselves but by a resident of Barnstable. At this time a 
noted controversy arose concerning a claim to a certain part 
of the old purchase. The dispute seems to have been con- 
fined principally to the line running from the head of Five 
Mile river to Tateket, and was raised as it would seem, not 



46 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

by the inhabitants of Falmouth, but of Barnstable. The dis- 
pute ran so high that a public meeting of the proprietors 
was called the 20th of June and the Rev. Mr. Metcalf, min- 
ister of the town, was called to preside. The proceedings 
of this meeting show that our fathers had the right side of 
the argument. They chose three men to "determine where 
Tateket is, and where the head of Five Mile river is." It 
is evident they did not want this information for their own 
satisfaction, for it must be supposed they knew very well 
where to find Tateket, and where the head of "Five Mile River." 
They wanted the claimants from Barnstable to be satisfied, 
and in choosing their committee they gave that town the 
majority, choosing "Lt. Ebenezer Lewis and Mr. John Jen- 
kins of Barnstable and Capt. Hope Lathrop of this town to 
run the line from Tateket to the head of the river, and from 
thence to Shapoquoit Rock." It does not appear that these 
men accepted their appointment, or that these Barnstable gen- 
tlemen were over anxious to learn the facts in the case 
and an action was brought forthwith against the proprie- 
tors by Mr. John Jenkins of Barnstable, to obtain a strip 
of the disputed territory by force of law. But he had yet 
to learn with whom he had to contend. Our ancestors pa- 
cific and accommodating among themselves, were not deficient 
in "spunk" as the sequel will show; they knew their rights 
were invaded, and were determined to maintain them at all 
hazards. They warned a meeting for December 31st, 1716 
and made choice of and deputed "Joseph Parker of said 
Falmouth to be their agent to appear for, and defend them 
in a plea or action of the case commenced against them by 
John Jenkins of Barnstable to be heard and argued upon at 



HIST OB T OF FALMOUTH. 



47 



the inferior court of common pleas to be holden at Barnstable, 
within and for the county of Barnstable the third Tuesday of 
January next and in their behalf to make answer" etc. They 
were determined to prosecute the business till they obtained 
their rights and they instructed their agent in case the decis- 
ion in the lower court went against them "to appeal from 
court to court until definite sentence be given. " They also 
voted to "ratify and hold firm and stable whatsoever their said 
agent should lawfully do or cause to be done in the prem- 
ises." They soon found that lawsuits were expensive but they 
did not flinch at this. Money was needed to defend their 
case and the following spring, April, 171 7, a meeting was 
called and a committee raised to sell so much of the undi- 
vided land as would raise the sum of thirty-five pounds for 
this purpose. How this memorable lawsuit terminated we are 
not informed but as no further record is made of the affair 
we infer that the court finally decided where Tateket was and 
where the head of Five Mile River was; and that the decis- 
ion of the honorable court was entirely satisfactory to the Fal- 
mouth party. It appears from the proprietors' record that a 
meeting house lot and training field was laid out in connec- 
tion with the bur}dng yard in 1716, and this meeting house 
lot then undoubtedly adjoined the burying yard lot. The 
present meeting house green* was not laid out till 33 years 
after, in 1749. Following the land record to about 1720 we 
find the towTiship generally run out and the several lots as- 
signed to individual proprietors or confirmed by them to pur- 
chasers who have settled on them. The boundary lines have 
been accurately defined and every man seems to be "sitting 

* Now, 1889, the village green in front of the First Congregational 

church in Falmouth village. [E. H. J.] 



48 HI8T0BT OF FALMOUTH. 

under his own vine with none to molest or make afraid." 
Small portions of the township in various parts of the town 
are yet held in common and reference to them will be made 
as we proceed in our history. We will now take up again 
the "Town's Book." 

At a town meeting Dec. i6, 1718 Hannah Sargent was 
chosen for the town's school mistress, and the selectmen were 
instructed to make application to her in the town's behalf. 
At the same meeting it was left to the selectmen to agree 
with some one person to sweep our meeting house the year 
ensuing not exceeding fifteen shillings ; the meaning of which 
probably is, that they being neat in their habits would have 
their place of meeting, i, e., the Town House swept 15 shil- 
lings' worth during the year. It seems that the selectmen 
were not successful in bargaining with Miss Hannah Sargent, 
for at the next meeting Isaac Greene and Timothy Robinson 
were chosen agents to procure a school master or mistress 
not exceeding 12 pounds and diet per year. Thus it seems 
that the wages of a teacher in these days were one pound 
per month and board. I have taken considerable pains to 
ascertain the value of a pound old tenor in our present cur- 
rency. It seems that a crown piece in those days had a 
nominal value of 50 shillings. This piece, now valued at 
$1.10 would then pass for 21-2 pounds, making a pound only 
44 cents. Reckoned thus a teacher's wages in 1718 would be 
only 44 cents per month and board. But I am convinced 
it is impossible for us to fix the precise value of the cur- 
rency in those days. It was constantly fluctuating ; so much 
so, that in contracts providing for future payments it was nec- 
essary to insert a provision that if the price of money in- 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 49 

creased then a less amount should be paid, and if it should 
decrease then a larger amount, etc. The selectmen in tak- 
ing the valuation of the estates of the town were accusto m ed 
to rate certain property as follows: Every ox, j£2. los; 
every yearling, 15s; every cow, ^i los; every horse, ;^2 ; 
sheep j£^ for a score ; every hog, year old, 6s ; meadow and 
tillage land per acre 5s. 

At a town meeting held Oct. 14th, 1719, Ensign Parker 
and Timothy Robinson were chosen "to treat with Philip 
Dexter for to try to bring him to some other terms to grind 
our com than he hath done." 

Philip Dexter being, as it appears, an enterprising man, 
had put up a grist mill and had the whole patronage of the 
tovm. Having no competitor in this line of business he ex- 
acted rather more toll than the inhabitants thought reasona- 
able or just. Consequently there was the town action al- 
ready reported. This was probably the first water grist mill 
erected in town ; it stood where the Pacific Factory now 
stands. " Five Mile river, " now called "Dexter's River," 
probably received its name from this proprietor, Philip Dex- 
ter. 

In 1 719 it was voted "That the act of getting birds 
heads should be one-half taken off " — from which we infer 
that our ancestors were good marksmen ; as black birds, both old 
and young, seem to be growing scarce. In 1724 it was 
voted in town meeting that the school mistress shall have 12 
pounds for her salary and suitable diet and the use of a 
horse to visit her friends twice a year." The line between 
this town and the district of Marshpee had not been definite- 
ly fixed, up to 1725. By a very formal instrument, of con- 



50 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

siderable length, more than half of it being a kind of pream- 
ble, inserted in the Town's Book this year we find two agents 
were employed by the town and four by Marshpee to fix the 
line of boundary between the town of Falmouth and the 
South Sea Indians. They say " We begin at a creek called 
" Moononwist, " Waquoit, from said Moononwist on a straight 
line about north-west and by north to a certain tree marked 
by a heap of stones at the south-west end of Ashumet Pond, 
from thence westerly to a small pine tree standing near the 
county road that leads from Sandwich to Falmouth — from 
thence by the aforesaid road easterly until it meets with 
Sandwich line — to be the line between Falmouth and Marsh- 
pee to be good and valid forever, etc. 

Signed, 

Isaac Robinson, 

Samuel Lewis, 

Agents for Falmouth, 

Ezra Bourne, Chenachuson, (X his mark,) 

Matthias Richard, (X his mark,) 

Caleb Pognet, (X his mark,) 

Agents for the South Sea Indians. 
In 1728 we find the following vote respecting a kind 
of " surplus revenue, " which by the way, seems to have 
given our honest ancestors quite as much trouble as the 
" surplus " has occasioned their descendants. " At a town 
meeting lawfully warned and held the 15th day of May, 1728, 
Thomas Shiverick moderator, at the same meeting it was voted 
that one part of the sixty thousand pounds loan money shall 
be fetched and brought into town — it is also agreed and 
voted that the money so brought into town shall be divided 
into ten pound parcels not more or less — it is also agreed 
and voted that the trustees shall have twenty shillings on a 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 5 1 

hundred for fetching in and disposing out said money. Lieu- 
tenant Hatch, Ensign Parker, John Dimmick, chosen trustees 
for the business aforesaid, Solomon Robinson, Town Clerk." 

It appears that the town was entirely agreed and har- 
monious in the investment of this fund ; it was to be given 
to certain individuals in trust, by them divided into ten 
pound parcels and hired out to individuals for the benefit of 
the town. We find no account of an appropriation of the 
income of this fund until six years after, when at a town 
meeting, Capt. Richard Bourne and Mr. Moses Wendal are 
chosen agents of the town to take an account of the interest 
and recover the same out of the hands of the trustees for 
the use of the town. These agents were also instructed by 
vote to pay the same to the selectmen for the defraying of 
the county rate as far as it would go. This action of the 
town was violently opposed and 27 voters, headed by John 
Bourne, entered their protest on the town's book. The 
trustees being of the opposition, refused to pay over, and 
were probably compelled by force of law, as in 1736 the 
town voted a sum of money to Moses Wendal to remunerate 
him for his trouble and expense in recovering the interest 
money out of the hands of the Trustees. In 1740, four 
years after, William Green was appointed by the town to call 
these trustees to an account, to see what was due from them 
and to sue them if they refused to pay over. 

In 1729 it was agreed and voted in town meeting that 
Lieut. Joseph Parker should carry the ferry from Woods Hole 
to the Vineyard. 

About this time a contest began between the town and 
one Samuel Barker respecting a way or road that said Barker 



52 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

wished to have laid out from the county road to his wharf, 
or as it is sometimes called his ferry. It seems that this 
Samuel Barker was a persevering as well as an enterprising 
man and was determined to have his road. The town refus- 
ing to lay it out on account ot the expense, he applied to 
His Majesty's court, styled "the Great or General Court" to 
lay out said road. A town meeting was called in 1732 to 
choose an agent to represent the town in said court to oppose 
Samuel Barker's road and Mr. Sylvanus Bourne was chosen for 
the purpose. This controversy cost the town a considerable 
amount of money, and judging from what information we can 
now gather, it would have been much for the pecuniary inter- 
est ol the town to have laid out Samuel Barker's road at 
once, but our worthy ancestors were not always governed by 
the consideration of dollars and cents. They meant to resist 
at all hazards what they deemed unreasonable demands. Sam- 
uel Barker was constantly renewing his petition to the Great 
or General Court from year to year to lay out a road to his 
ferry and the town was as constantly appointing an agent to 
appear at the Court to oppose it. In 1735 the town tried 
the virtue of moral suasion and pubUc opinion was brought to 
bear on Samuel Barker. A town meeting was called and the 
following vote passed without any apparent opposition. "Vot- 
ed, by said meeting, that there was a sufficient open road 
for the use of the town and county way to the ferry at 
Woods Hole and convenient landing already provided for, and 
desiring that they may not be at any more charges for any 
more ways." But Mr. Samuel Barker was an independent 
man and little cared for the desires of the town. He re- 
newed his application to the Court for a road to his ferry. 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. S3 

The last action I find respecting this controversy is contain- 
ed in a vote passed six years after its commencement which 
runs thus: "May i8th day, 1737, Seth Parker chosen agent 
to represent the town at the Great or General Court in order 
to prevent any charge arising to said town relating to the 
way that leads from the county road to Samuel Barker's 
wharf."* 

In 1738 the town appointed an agent to appear at the 
general court to oppose the petition of the town of Eastham 
to have two of the county courts holden at that town. 

In 1739 we find the law concerning bird-killing essen- 
tially modified. Instead of compelling every house-keeper to 
kill old black birds etc., the town now resolves to see 
what difference there is between driving and coaxing, and the 
following is passed in town meeting March 13th. "Voted, 
that whosoever shall kill any crows or black birds or jay birds 
between the 13th d.iy of March instant and the 20th day of 
June next ensuing, 1740, and shall bring their heads to one 
or more of the selectmen shall be paid out of the town 
treasury ; for old crows' heads four pence per head and for 
young crows' one penny per head and for old black birds' 
and old jay birds' heads two pence, and for the young heads' 
half penny per head." At the same meeting a vote was 
passed respecting the impounding of sheep which provided 
that the " fines " should be equally divided between the per- 

* Samuel Barker lived on the point forming the Southeastern extrem- 
ity of " Little Harbor " near the present residence of Capt. Joseph Hatch. 
It is probable that his wharf was at this place and being some distance 
from the county road over a rough way, there was naturally very serious 
objection on the part of the town to granting his petition. To construct 
a good road to this point at the present day would be considered quite au 
expensive job. 



54 HI8T0BY OF FALMOUTH. 

son who should take them up and the poor of the town. 
The town about this time was served by quite a celebrated 
school master, Mr. Joseph Pitts. For several successive years 
the town passed votes regulating his salary, establishing the 
price of his board, directing that he should move his school 
from time to time to different parts of the town etc., etc. 
It appears from the Proprietors' Record of this date that 
many of the common and undivided lands belonging to the 
company had been encroached on by individuals, and they 
called a meeting, of which David Butler was chosen clerk and 
chose a committee to look after all their undivided lands, par- 
ticularly a strip running from the head of the burying place 
lot to Monument Bay. The committee was ordered to sue for 
the recovery of all lands illegally taken up and divide the 
same from time to time as they shall be instructed by the 
proprietors. In the fall of the same year, 1749, the proprie- 
tors held a meeting and laid out the present " Meeting house 
lot." As there have been various opinions expressed as to the 
control the town might exercise respecting this lot, I will 
transcribe accurately the grant to the town as it is recorded 
in the Proprietor's Book. "At a proprietors' meeting, legally 
warned, holden at Falmouth the 6th day of Oct. 1749 by the 
proprietors of the old purchase, then agreed that there should 
be part of that lot of land called the meeting house lot to 
be laid out for a meeting house lot and training field, about 
one acre and half beside the road that leads to Woods Hole 
and is bounded southerly by Samuel Shiverick and westerly by 
Silas Hatch and northerly by Nathaniel Nickerson and easterly 
by Paul Hatch and Samuel Shiverick to lye perpetually to that 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTE, 55 

end as the fence now stands except before Paul Hatch's 
house ] and ordered to be recorded, Voted. 

David Butler, Proprietor's Clerk. 

In 1753 an open road was laid out by the selectmen on the 
north shore beginning at Benjamin Swift's land and passing some 
dozen estates until it terminates near the east end of a swamp 
at the old road. In 1759 the town was divided into two school 
districts, the line running from John Lawrence's northerly to 
Reuben Gifford's. All the inhabitants westerly to Woods Hole 
were to regulate their own school having no reference to the 
north*'rly and easterly part of the town. The public schools up 
to this date would not compare very favorably with the schools 
of the present day. When a scholar had learned to read, write 
and cipher to the rule of three, his education was completed, and 
when the master had taught his pupils these simple elements, heard 
their catechism and learned them their manners his work was 
done. But in 1763 the public schools were improved. At a 
public meeting this year a committee of five of the most influ- 
ential and respectable men of the town was appointed to look 
into the state of the schools for several years past and to regu- 
late them for the present year. They were instructed to open a 
Grammar school, to procure a teacher competent to teach this 
branch, to move the school from place to place so as to give all 
parts of the town the benefit of so accomplished a teacher, etc. 

We here get a clue to the probable population of the 
town about 1760. There was a law that when a town should 
contain seventy families it should set up a Grammar school, 
and as this is the first school of the kind set up, it is prob- 
able that our town then contained not far from 600 inhabi- 
tants. It may be inquired if the means of instruction in the 



56 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

towns generally were so limited how could the youth be pre- 
pared for a public education? Every county town was re- 
quired by the Colonial government to maintain a Latin school 
to prepare youth for college. Such town was to make 
an annual appropriation of twelve pounds to the school 
and to pay tuition for its own scholars. There was a cer- 
tain part of the income from the fisheries also appropriated 
by law for their support. The scholars from other towns 
were to go as free scholars. 

Up to this time the inhabitants continued to suffer con- 
siderable inconvenience in their mill accommodation. Whether 
Philip Dexter 's mill being the only one in town was still dis- 
posed to exact larger toll than was strictly just or equitable 
or whether the inhabitants had become too numerous to be 
all accommodated at one place, we are not informed, but 
one thing was certain, the Falmouth people would have an- 
other mill. At the March meeting in 1767 "it was was put 
to vote to see if the town will build a mill dam at William 
Green's river if Benjamin Gifford will build a mill and keep 
her in repair and grind for two quarts out of a bushel; and 
it passed in the affirmative." This vote however was not 
satisfactory to a large part of the inhabitants and the meeting 
was adjourned for the further consideration of the matter, and 
at the meeting held by adjournment this vote was re-consid- 
ered and in lieu of it the following vote was passed which 
appeared to be satisfactory. "Voted to give Benjamin Gif- 
ford fifty-three pounds, six shillings and eight pence, if he will 
build a grist mill and keep her in good repair for himself, his 
heirs and assigns forever, and to grind for two quarts out of a 
bushel and to make the dam a sufficient cart way over Green's 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 57 

river where the mill is to stand, the one half of the money to 
be paid at the finishing of the mill and the other half in 
six months after." 

In the first settlement of New England there was consid- 
erable litigation in reference to mills and millers. The pop- 
ulation was sparse and mills were "few and far between." 

The records of the Old Colony say "Whereas there are 
divers millers in this colony who are allowed competent toll 
for grinding, and do not grind corn as they ought to do, it 
is enacted by the court that such millers shall either grind their 
com sufficiently or pay for every default 6d. per bushel for 
the Colony's use." They were required by law to keep two 
scaled toll dishes, one to hold a just pottle, upheaved, the 
other a quart upheaved, they were also required to keep weights 
and scales, so that if their customers were over-particular they 
could weigh the com. Millers were considered so essential to 
the public accommodation that they were exempted from mili- 
tary service and from other public duties. 

This year Mr. Samuel Shiverick was chosen to take care 

of the town's lot and to get it fenced for the * that 

grows thereon with a good lawful stone wall as far up as the 
flat swamp so called. It appears that the town's people had 
been able to get an abundance of oysters from extensive 
oyster beds in what is now known as Oyster Pond. But for 
some cause these shell fish had greatly diminished, and at a 
meeting held in 1773 a special committee was appointed "to 
see what is best to be done to preserve the oysters in the 
Oyster Pond and to report at a future meeting." 

We have now arrived at a period of great interest to us. 
• An illegible word. 



58 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

Following these simple records of our ancestors we have approached 
to the borders of that time that "tried men's souls." We look 
upon these almost obliterated records of our fathers, we read 
of their anxiety, of their frequent meetings, and of their sol- 
emn resolves and all shows that something portentous and fear- 
ful is at hand. What means this note of preparation? Why 
these storehouses of provisions, why is the youth of sixteen, 
and the sire of three score furnished with the weapons of 
death? We are on f/ie eve of the revolution, we are almost 
at the commencement of that mighty struggle that freed our 
fathers from the oppressions of the old world and which en- 
abled them to bequeath to us their descendants the precious 
legacy, more precious than all that silver or gold could pro- 
cure, that of civil freedom and religious liberty. 

As we approach this period so full of exciting interest to 
us, we feel a secret awe come over our spirits, and with feel- 
ings not unlike those that came over the spirit of the renown- 
ed leader of the "sacramental host of God's elect," we al- 
most hear the same Almighty voice saying, " put off thy shoes 
from oflF thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy 
ground." Here we will pause, go back and take up the 
ecclesiastical history where it was left in the last lecture, and 
bring it to the present period. 



Ecclesiastical History, Continuation. 



In my last lecture our ecclesiastical history was brought 
up to 1687, the last date of which we find any town action 
previous to 1700. Preparation had been already made for the 
permanent establishment of a church here but as yet the in- 
habitants had no minister, but had to travel some fifteen miles 
to West Barnstable to attend public worship. It is said that 
Mr. Samuel Shiverick laboured in this town as minister, some- 
time previous to 1700. The first allusion to him on the rec- 
ords of the town is as follows: "The loth day of Dec, 1701 
at a meeting of the town of Falmouth it was Voted, "That 
Mr. Shiverick was now of the town, Minister." As yet there 
was no church, and this Mr. Shiverick seems to have laboured 
here as a kind of missionary. It is probable that his labours 
were only occasional, for he was probably connected with col- 
lege at this time, as we learn that he graduated at Cambridge in 
1703. From a vote passed at this time it would appear 
that he also taught a school in connection with his ministerial 



6o HIST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. 

labours. But he was not a popular man with the settlers, 
and it is to be feared that as individuals they did not do all 
that they might have done even in their weak state for his 
comfort. In 1702 we find the following vote. "The inhab- 
itants did then agree that in consideration of the low estate 
of Mr, Shiverick, and that his yearly maintenance being not 
paid him, did then agree and order that a rate of 15 pounds 
should be made upon the inhabitants for his relief," &c. 
Three months after this there was a town meeting the record 
of which runs thus — " Said meeting did then agree that they 
would not employ Samuel Shiverick any more to preach to 
them, and chose Joseph Parker to tell him of it, and also 
chose Thomas Bowerman and Joseph Parker to reckon and 
take account with him for what he has done the last summer 
and this winter."* 

The inhabitants now appeared greatly desirous of procur- 
ing the permanent settlement of an able and pious minister 
" to teach to them and their children the good word of God." 
They appointed a committee to advise and consult with neigh- 
boring ministers on this subject, and they finally invited the Rev. 
Joseph Metcalf, a graduate of Cambridge College and an accom- 
plished man to preach as a candidate for settlement. He com- 
pUed with their invitation, and the 27th day of Feb., 1706, 
the town made choice of John Robinson, Melatiah Bourne, 
Moses Hatch, Joseph Parker and Samuel Lewis as a commit- 

* Mr. Shiverick undoubtedly settled in this town after completing 

his college course, but whether he practiced either of the learned profes- 
sions cannot now be determined. It would seem that in every generation 
from that day to the present there has been a Samuel Shiverick decendant 
from the first preacher in this town. They have been large land holders, 
and have taken a great interest in the public business of the town. It 
has been said that this family was of French origin. 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 6 1 

tee in the town's behalf to make application to the Rev. 
Joseph Metcalf for his longer continuance amongst us in or- 
der to his settlement with us, if God shall incline and direct 
him thereunto to carry on the work of the ministry amongst 
us, for the upholding of the public worship of God in this 
place and for our mutual edification, and if upon their treat- 
ing with him, they shall find him inclining to take up with 
our call, then the said committee may on the town's behalf 
make such an arrangement with him in order to his settle- 
ment and comfortable support while he continues with us in 
that work as they shall see meet, and the town doth promise 
to fulfil and perform the same in all respects." At a town 
meeting holden May 19, 1797, regularly assembled, the Rev. 
Mr. Joseph Metcalf (with the advice of the Rev. Jonathan 
Russell, Rowland Cotton and Nathaniel Stone, pastors of 
churches)* was chosen the minister of this town. 

The following August a formal call was extended to Mr. 
Metcalf in behalf of the town to become its minister. It 
will be seen he had no call to enter into the pastoral rela- 
tion for the reason that there was as yet no church organiza- 
tion. He was called to be minister to the town. As he 
was the first settled minister, and as the business was trans- 
acted with a good deal of formality and precision, it is a 
matter of interest with us to learn particularly the terms of 
his settlement etc. I shall therefore quote at length from the 

record of that period. 

"Falmouth, Aug. 22, 1707. 

To the Rev. Mr. Joseph Metcalf, Sir: The inhabitants of 

this town having legally chosen yourself to be their minister 

* Rev. Mr. Russell was pastor of the church at West Barnstable, Mr. 

Cotton of Sandwich, and Mr. Stone, of Brewster. 



62 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

and being in hopes of your taking up with this call, they 
have by their act or vote upon record in our town book the 
7th page chosen and constituted us the subscribers to be a 
committee to represent themselves unto you, to discourse and 
treat with you, and to propose to you, and to make such ar- 
rangement with you on their behalf as we shall see meet, 
and have there promised to fulfil and perform in all respects 
such proposals and agreement as we should make in their be- 
half in order to your comfortable settlement with us and hon- 
orable support among us in the work of the ministry, that 
you may dispense the word and ordinances of God and preach 
the gospel of Christ to us and ours for our mutual good and 
edification and that God's public worship may constantly be 
up held amongst us, which favour of heaven we are desirous 
of. Whereupon we (being in hopes of your being obtained 
to settle with us in that work) have considered of some pro- 
posals to present you withall for your encouragement therein 
and we are unanimously agreed in each of the following par- 
ticulars, and do hereby promise in the town's behalf the ful- 
fillment thereof in case of your settlement and continuance 
with us as our minister, viz : ist. To give you one hundred 
and sixty pounds in money, at weight and value it now most 
usually passeth at, which is 15 penny weight at six shil- 
lings, or such other things equivalent as may suit yourself for 
your comfortable settling among us, to be paid within the 
compass of twenty-six months next ensuing at several payments 
as you shall have occasion for it. 

2nd. Two good cows to be delivered to you on settle- 
ment. 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 63 

3rd. To dig and stone a well convenient for your water- 
ing where and when you shall see meet. 

4th. To bring you home to your house this year ten cords 
of fire wood, adding thereunto yearly what you shall have oc- 
casion for more, until it amounts to twenty cords per year 
which quantity shall be continued yearly so long as you con- 
tinue with us. 

5th. To give you for your yearly salary forty pounds per 
annum for the fourth, fifth and sixth years and fifty pounds 
for the seventh year which will be Anno Domini 1714 and so 
annually so long as the providence of God shall continue you 
to be our minister, to which yearly salary of ;^50 additions 
shall be made from time to time in proportion to the town's 
estate as the list of rateable estate yearly taken may dem- 
onstrate until it shall amount to the sum of ;£yo per an- 
num, all which yearly payment shall be made (either in money 
or equivalent pay) by the last day of November yearly. 

Sir, the condition on which we make these proposals 
and become thus obUged unto yourself in the town's be- 
half, and upon which we desire your acceptance of the 
same, is that you settle with us in the work of the ministry 
and continue to be our minister so long as the providence of 
God shall enable and direct you thereunto, and that in case 
of your removal by death within the space of ten years from 
the time of your first coming to us, namely Dec. 25, 1706, 
you do obhge your heirs, executor or administrators to make 
a firm conveyance by deed unto the town of the fifty acre 
lot you are settling upon with all the buildings you shall erect 
upon the same and to give or allow unto the town sixty 
pounds in the price of the land as it shall then be valued 



64 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

at by indifferent men, upon the town's pajring to such heirs, 
executors or administrators the remainder of the price of said 
land together with such a sum of money as you shall have 
expended in building thereupon according to the account your- 
self shall keep thereof, and that whensoever this lot and 
buildings to be sold this town may have the first refusal. 

John Robinson,' 

M. Bourne, 

Moses Hatch, \ Committee." 

Joseph Parker, 

Samuel Lewis. 

Mr. Metcalfs reply was as follows : 

"To the committee subscribing to what is above written 
Gentlemen : This is to intimate and manifest my grateful ac- 
ceptance of your above proposals in all respects closing and 
complying with, and consenting unto and granting of the con- 
dition annexed thereunto as yourselves have now expressed 
the same, only this exception I must make that I will appro- 
priate so much time as necessary journeys and visits shall re- 
quire (a very reasonable and customary privilege) without 
being thought an offender though I provide nobody to supply 

my place.* 

J. Metcalf. 
Falmouth, Aug. 22, 1707. 

The town having settled a minister, it was now deemed 

expedient to organize a church, and the " First Congregational 

Church" of this town was organized in the fall of 1708 as 

appears from the records of the First Church in Barnstable. 

• It will be noticed liere that the reserve of a little time that the 

minister may call his own is not a modern arrangement. This privilege 
was asked and granted by the minister and town in 1707, and the same 
thing was done by the minister and the First Congregational society 130 
years after in 1837, the present clergyman. Rev. Henry B. Hooker, being re- 
leased two weeks annually from his parochial duties. 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 65 

"In 1708 Oct. loth, the following persons signifying their 
desire to the church in Barnstable to be dismissed to the 
work of gathering into a church estate in Falmouth, the 
church voted, that according to their best observation, their 
conversation having been agreeable, we do therefore recom- 
mend them to the great and good work of forming a church 
which they are upon, and therein into the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, commend them. 

Samuel Shiverick Sen., 
Amy the wife of Joseph Hatch, 
John Robinson and Elizabeth his wife, 
John Davis and Hannah his wife, 
Moses Hatch and Elizabeth his wife, 
Thomas Parker and Mary his wife, 
Joseph Parker and Mercy his wife, 
Aaron Rowley and Mary his wife, 
ElHs wife of Benjamin Hatch, 
Mary wife of Wm. Johnson, 
Hannah, wife of Benjamin Lewis, 
Lydia wife of Samuel Hatch, 
Bethia, the wife of Joseph Robinson. 



Record of Barnstable Church. 
The above lived in Falmouth. 



Amen. 

Jonathan Russell, pastor, with 
consent of the brethren." 



It cannot now be ascertained when the first meeting 
house was erected. It is probable that a small building was 
erected near the present burying ground about the time Mr. 
Shiverick came among them between the years 1690 and 1700. 
The first mention made in the records of the town respect- 
ing a place of worship is contained in sundry votes passed 
in 1 715 when the town resolved to "build a new meeting 
house 34 ft. long, 30 ft. wide and 18 ft. in height with as 



66 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

flat roof as convenient." They say it shall stand on the 
same lot where the old one now does, and that it shall be 
for the town's use for the public worship of God and to meet 
in open towa occasions. The town received ^40 from the 
Colonial Treasury to aid in its erection. The house was built 
by contract except the seats. In the matter of seats there 
was a difference of opinion. Some desired seats while others 
wished for "pew spots," and finally it was left to a committee 
to seat the house according to their judgment and they wisely 
obliged both parties. Most of the house was seated, but a 
certain part was chalked off for " pew spots " and sold to 
the highest bidder and the money coming from the sale was 
applied to payment of the building debt. We find our fa- 
thers in a new and convenient house of worship, enjoying the 
regular means of grace, with an accomplished and honored 
pastor whom they seem to have regarded with deep affection. 
This truly amiable and respected divine died in 1733 having 
been the honored minister of the town for 16 years.* 

I recently visited the grave yard desiring to stand by the 
grave of the town's first minister. It is numbered with those 
ancient graves at the southeast end of the lot, many of which 
have no monuments to tell the passer by whose dust is min- 
gling with its kindred dust beneath. While thus engaged the 
following sweet and simple words of the poet occurred to 
me as peculiarly appropriate. 

''Who restetli here? whose race is run, whose 
pilgrimage is o'er? 
Whose voice is gone that may be heard no more? 
I know not, yet methinks some mark sliould be, 
To tell the world whose resting place we see; 
That passing by we may rejoice or fear. 
Smile in bright hope or shed the sorrowing tear." 

* The death of this good man was greatly lamented. It is spoken 

of as "a solemn and awful breach on the church and people." 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 67 

It is not to the credit of our town that the grave of 
its first minister, a man that was regarded as an accom- 
plished scholar, a pious and able divine, should thus be for- 
gotten and unknown. It is to be hoped that the "First 
Society " in this place, on learning these facts will take meas- 
ures to erect a suitable monument to the memory of the man 
that was first formally settled as the spiritual guide of our 
ancestors in this town.* 

In 1724 a few months after the decease of Mr. Metcalf, 
the Rev. Josiah Marshal received a call to settle, and in this 
the church and town appear to have been entirely harmonious. 

Mr. Marshal replied to this call in a very lengthy com- 
munication addressed to "the town and the church of Christ 
therein, " in which he says he is " influenced in part to accept 
your call by considering the peace, the love, affection and 
unity, which, blessed be the God of peace, has been discov- 
ered by you in your choice and election of me," etc. 

Mr. Marshal was not ordained over the church, but, like 
his predecessor, was only the minister of the town. Why this 
course, so much at variance with the ecclesiastical usages of 
that day, was adopted, we are not informed. He labored 
here but seven years, and was dismissed in 1730. No cause 
is assigned for the dismission, and there seems to have been 
good feeling between the parties. He offered his house to 
the town which bought it at his own offer, and a special 
committee was appointed by the town to give him a formal 

* As soon as attention was caUed to the matter by this statement, a marble 

slab was placed at Mr. Metcalf s gi'ave, bearing the following inscription : "Sa- 
cred to the memory ot tlie Rev. Joseph Metcalf, the first pastor of the Congrega- 
tional church, in this town, who died Dec. 24, 1723, in the 42d year of his age and 
the 16th of his ministiy." [E. H. J.l 



68 HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 

dismission. The Rev. Samuel Palmer was the next minister 
and the first pastor of the church. At a meeting held June 
30, 1730, it was agreed and voted that Mr. Samuel Palmer 
shall be the town's minister. At the same meeting the town made 
choice of nine men " to consider of a suitable sum of money 
for his encouragement which gentlemen have agreed to give 
Mr. Palmer ;^20o settlement to be paid in four years at ^^50 
per year in bills of credit with 90 pounds salary for the four 
years, and afterwards, ;^ioo per year so long as he shall re- 
main the town's minister, and if the money should still grow 
worse, we will raise in proportion, and if it should grow bet- 
ter, then to raise in proportion." A committee was ap- 
pointed to lay these proposals before Mr. Palmer. The follow- 
ing persons being Quakers dissented from these doings and 
entered their protest on the town's book of records. 
Stephen Harper, Richard Landers. 

Thomas Bowerman, Justus Gififord, 

Thomas Bowerman, Jr., William Gifford, Sen., 

Benjamin Swift, Samuel Bowerman, 

Amos Landers, John Landers, 

William Gifford, Jr., Seth Gifford, 

William Gifford, the younger. 
The church was singularly fortunate in the selection of its 
first pastor. His ministry was long continued and eminently 
successful J and as he has left a numerous company of de- 
scendants among us who still honor his memory, it will not 
be out of place to insert such sketches as I have been able 
to obtain respecting his long and useful life. 

Rev. Samuel Palmer was from Middleborough, in this state. 
He married Miss Mercy Parker, of Boston, and settled on 
the lot where now is standing the house of Captain Davis 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 69 

Hatch.* His residence was a large two story house on the same 
site as the present one. His homestead lot was very large, ex- 
tending from the estate of Dr. Cornishf on the east, to 
Mr. Otis A. Butler's} on the north. He had three sons by 
his first wife : the oldest, Thomas Palmer settled in this town 
and was the father of Mrs. Richard Wood, deceased. The 
second son was for many years a prominent man familiarly 
known as " Esquire " Palmer. His third son, Mr. Job Palmer is 
still living at Charleston, S. C, now (1843) in his 97th year. He 
married as his second wife Mrs. Allen, of Martha's Vineyard. 
He had three daughters by his second wife, viz : Mrs. Susan 
Hatch, mother of Mr. Mayhew Hatch, Mrs. Sarah Croswell, 
mother of Dr. Croswell, and Mrs. Lewis, mother of Capt. 
Nathaniel Lewis, all of this town. Although a numerous fami- 
ly, the name has been extinct in this town for several years. 
"Esquire" Palmer had a son and three daughters settled 
in this town, viz: Mr. Samuel Palmer, who died in 1797, 
father of Mrs. Croswell. The daughters were Mrs. Hannah 
Freeman II and Mrs. Davis Hatch still living (1843) ^"^ Mrs. 
Elizabeth Boume§ deceased. The descendants of these four 
children are quite numerous amongst us, and it is much to 
be regretted that a name so long and honorably known and 
so deservedly dear to the inhabitants of this town should have 
become extinct. Mr. Palmer cared not only for the souls, 
but for the bodies of his hearers also. He was for many 
years a regular practitioner of medicine. I have been told 
that his library contained some of the best medical works of 

* Now, 18S9, R. C. Bodflsh's. tLate Capt. Warren Bourne's, now, 1889, 

Mrs. Gould's. JNow, 1889, Capt. Uenry tilfford's. 

il Mother of Miss Martha Freeman. §Motlier of Mr. Samuel Bourne, 

for many years cashier of Falmouth Bank. [E. H. J] 



70 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

his day and that he had a respectable knowledge of the heal- 
ing art. I have not been able to ascertain whether he re- 
ceived a diploma as a medical student. The probability is 
that the population at that day being small and sparse, and 
doctors not being then, as now, "plenty as blackberries," he 
gained his medical knowledge chiefly after he began his med- 
ical profession and practiced for the benefit of his parishion- 
ers, on the same principle that many of our missionaries do 
at the present day. I have been told that his useful life 
was finally sacrificed to his labours in this cfirection in mak- 
ing a visit to a patient in the east part of the town. Ex- 
posture to severe weather brought on a cold attended with a 
fever that resulted in his death. He is said to have been 
eminently a man of prayer. He was laborious as a minister, 
faithful as a pastor and " his praise was in all the churches." 
Mr. Palmer had a notable servant, whom he legally held as a 
slave, by the name of Titus; this Titus, or "Tite" as he was 
familiarly called, who appears to have been treated by his 
master more as a companion than a slave, was as distinguish- 
ed in his sphere as his master was in his. The two are 
said to have been strongly attached to each other, and many 
anecdotes respecting them are still told by our elderly people. 
They carried on their farming operations together, Titus be- 
ing master in these operations and the minister obeying orders 
in the capacity of servant. The parson was excessively fond 
of his pipe and Tite always insisted that the pipe made 
Master absent-minded. The passers by were not a little 
amused by their ploughing operations. Tite was always at the 
helm giving the word of command to the minister who was 
driving the team. But the minister was so absent-minded, be- 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. ?! 

ing, as Titus supposed, entirely taken up with his pipe that 
the team went here and there at its own will, leaving be- 
hind a very irregular furrow. Tite had not Job's patience 
and his peculiarly shrill voice might be heard at some dis- 
tance shouting "Why master; it seems as if you might do a 
ieetle better." These reproofs became very frequent and Tite 
was familiarly spoken of as "swearing at the minister." This 
faithful servant outliving his master, went to sea in an .Amer- 
ican privateer during the war of the Revolution and was nev- 
er heard from afterwards. 

No record of the church previous to Mr. Palmer's settle- 
ment has been found, and as it had no settled pastor it is 
not probable that any records were kept separate from the town 
records. Mr. Palmer appears to have been remarkably meth- 
odical and correct in all his transactions, and on the day of 
his ordination commenced a regular church record that has 
been continued to the present day and which gives us a reg- 
ular and minute history of the First Church to the present 
time. I shall be excused for dwelling at considerable length 
on this period of our ecclesiastical history, as it is now a 
matter of great interest with us to know what were the cus- 
toms and usages of the church at that early period. A 
better understanding of the customs and usages of the Con- 
gregational church of this early day, and which are now rec- 
ognized as law, would have saved a vast deal of trouble and 
controversy to the state of Massachusetts during a period of 
fifteen years extending on from about 1812. One party claim- 
ed that the churches had no separate rights or any power in 
the calling and settling of their clergy independent of the con- 
gregation, whilst the churches contended that their action was 



72 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 



separate and independent, and that neither church nor congre- 
gation could act without the concurrence of the other. After 
a world of controversy and strife, and not a few suits at law, 
this principle is still recognized as Congregational usage — and 
in the humble opinion of the speaker the only one that can 
under that system of church policy, secure the rights of each 
party. A careful attention to the answer of Rev. Mr. Palmer, 
accepting his call to be the pastor of the church and minis- 
ter of the people, will convince every candid hearer that the 
church possessed independent rights at least more than a cen- 
tury ago. It will be borne in mind that heretofore the 
church had had no pastor, hence in the settling of Mr. Pal- 
mer's predecessors there had been none other than town ac- 
tion. 

'*To the church and other Christian inhabitants of the 
town of Falmouth, Brethren : — Since you have been pleased, 
after my continuance for some time with you, to elect and 
make application to me to be your pastor and minister, pre- 
senting me with the act of the church, bearing date Feb. 4, 
1 73 1, wherein is signified their choice of me, and desire of 
my continuance here to take the pastoral care of them, &c., 
and a/so the concurring act and vote of the town bearing date 
of March 2, 1730, wherein is expressed that the inhabitants 
of the town have legally chosen me to be their minister, «S:c. 
I do gratefully acknowledge the respect for, and affection to- 
ward me, which ye have so unanimously expressed and show- 
ed. And I have, after humble and earnest supplication to 
the allwise God to direct and guide me in the consideration 
of so weighty and important an affair and to influence my 
determination thereon — set myself seriously to consider of your 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 



73 



invitation to me with the observable circumstances attending 
the same, asking advice thereon ; and since there was such a 
imanimity as ye have signified to have been in your proceed- 
ings and a continued affection toward me hath since been 
expressed, I cannot but conceive the voice of God to be 
therein, — that he united your heart and voice thus to apply 
yourselves to me, and, therefore, notwithstanding the discour- 
agements otherwise arising I dare not gainsay, but must be 
wiUing to comply with your desire to take upon me this sol- 
emn charge and great work among you, as hearkening to, and 
obeying the voice of the great Shepherd of the sheep, depend- 
ing on him for assistance and strength to perform the same. 
And whereas the Lord hath ordained that they who preach 
the gospel shall live of the gospel, as they who waited at the 
altar, were partakers with the altar, I do and shall expect 
that ye exercise towards me that charity, justice and liberality, 
which the gospel of our Lord requires ; to afford me a com- 
fortable and honourable support and maintenance as God shall 
give you ability, and of what you are pleased of your bounty 
to bestow upon me to promote my settling comfortably among 
you, I shall thankfully accept. And now you abiding still by 
your choice of me to take the charge of, and watch over you 
according to the rules of the gospel, I shall account myself 
bound and devoted to labour for the good of your souls, de_ 
siring and expecting that your prayers be joined with mine, 
that I may not be given to you in anger but in love ; as a 
blessing of our gracious and ascended Saviour, and by him be 
made faithful and successful in this great work whereto I am 

called. 

Samuel Palmer. 
September i, 1731. 



74 HIST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. 

It will here be seen that the church first acts — electing" 
the minister, or in other words nominating him to the society. 
If the society puts its veto on this act of the church, he 
cannot become its pastor, and a new nomination must be 
made. If the society concur, he then, after a formal induc- 
tion into office, becomes the pastor of the church, and minis- 
ter of the people. 

In 1739 the town voted, by a large majority, to build a 
new meeting-house 45 ft. square, with 37 pew spots below, 
and 1 2 above ; on the same lot where the old house then 
stood. This action of the town was violently opposed by a 
small minority who wished the new house farther east. The 
town then chose a committee from the neighboring towns to 
come and decide the location, but their decision not giving 
satisfaction, they voted in 1742 not to build a new meeting- 
house, but add to the old one by putting up new galleries 
over the old ones, and to repair the outside of the house. 

The controversy respecting the removal of the meeting- 
house raged about a dozen years, and it was not until 1750- 
that the town could agree to commence the work. The 
question of location had now been decided and the following 
vote was passed at a town meeting holden March 11, 1750. 
"Voted, that the bigness of the new meeting-house, that the 
town had agreed to build, shall be reduced to 42 ft. square, 
and that the now standing meeting-house shall be used and 
improved towards building the new one." This house stood 
on the site of the present Congregational meeting-house,* and 
it will be recollected that the proprietors of the public lands 

* In 1857 tlie meeting-house was removed from the green to its 

present site. [E. H. J.] 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 75 

had laid out the meeting-house green the year previous, viz : 
1749. This new house contained 22 pew spots on the lower 
flower and 11 in the galleries. These were numbered and 
sold. It is probable that a considerable portion of the house 
was taken up by free seats. It is curious to notice by the 
record of these pew owners, who were regarded as belonging 
to the " aristocracy " of these days. The first pew was re- 
served for the minister, for the time being. Capt. Thomas 
Shiverick had the fi/st choice after; William Eldred, Joseph 
Bourne, Ebenezer Hatch, Jr., Nathaniel Nickerson, Lieut. Sam- 
uel Shiverick had the next and so on until they were all taken 
up. 

We notice in all the discussions about new meeting- 
houses up to this time, a considerable sensitiveness about these 
pew spots. We have an account at one time previous to 
our present date, of one ,Mr. Parker, who applied to the 
town for a very small space under the pulpit for a pew spot, 
evidently not more than sufficient to contain one or two in- 
dividuals. Surely, this Mr. Parker must have been a very 
consequential man, at least in his own estimation. We have 
no account of the election of church officers until 1751, when 
on the resignation of Deacon Joseph Crowell, Benjamin Parker 
was elected to that office,* 

Nothing seems to have occurred to destroy the peace and 
harmony of the church during the ministry of Mr. Palmer, 
which was closed by his death in 1775, he having been the 

* Deacon Joseph Davis was elected to that office May, 1771. The 

first allusion we have to Deacon of the church is contained on the fli-st 
page of the church record, dated 1732. It reads thus, Jan. ye 9th, 1732, 
Cuffee, ye negi'o servant of Deacon Parker, propounded for full communion." 
"Feb. 13, 1732, Cuffee baptized and received into full communion with con 
sent ot brethien." 



76 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

faithful pastor of the church and the devoted minister of the 
people for 45 years. His age was 68 years. 

The following lines are copied from his tomb stone : 

"His virtues would a monument supply, 
But underneath this stone his ashes lie." 




Section Third. 

From the Commencement of the Revolution to 1812. 

We have now arrived at a period in our history of the 
greatest interest to us. One hundred and fifteen years have 
passed since our fathers, a feeble company with few posses- 
sions, first landed on our shores. What have they now ac- 
comphshed? They have subdued the wilderness and extended 
themselves over a region of country some 20 miles square, 
they have erected houses for the worship of God, established 
the regular ministration of religion, provided schools for the 
instruction of their children, and are enjoying the fruit of 
their labours. But now a cloud comes over their fair prospects. 
The controversy between the colonies and the mother country 
has commenced and the momentous question is to be de- 
cided, whether they will quietly submit to the demands of a 
foreign despot or assert their independence and seal it with 
their blood. If any portion of the colonists had greater rea- 
sons than any other to dread a struggle with the mother 



78 HIST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. 

country, they must have been found in such a place as this. 
Jutting out into the sea, surrounded almost with numerous is- 
lands furnishing the best harbors on the coast as places of 
rendezvous for the enemy, nothing but the firmest courage, 
united with the warmest patriotism, could induce them to take 
up arms in so unequal a contest. Did they hesitate? Did 
they doubt the justice of their cause or stop to enumerate 
their dangers? Let their own records testify. We shall learn 
from them that when the storm broke forth they were pre- 
pared to meet it and did meet it with the spirit and bear- 
ing of freemen. The people of this town seem to have de- 
cided long before the commencement of hostilities what would 
be the final issue, and began in season the work of prep- 
aration. At a town meeting holden Oct. 1774, several months 
before the battle of Lexington, a committee of correspondence 
was appointed, and the meeting was adjourned for one week. 
At the adjourned meeting it was voted that every man from 
16 to 60 shall be equipped with arms and ammunition. The 
above committee was instructed to call the town together in one 
fortnight as complete in arms as may be. This meeting 
was held by adjournment from time to time as often as once 
in one or two weeks until it was finally dissolved the last of 
November. The town voted at these several meetings to sup- 
ply every private soldier out of the town treasury with a suf- 
ficient stock of powder, balls and flints, and appointed a large 
committee "to see that the Continental Congress be adhered 
to" which means, as I understand it, to ascertain how many 
(if any) tories there were in town. 

Notice with what promptitude and energy the people of 
this town acted. These measures were adopted, before they 



HISTOBT OF FALMOUTH. 79 

could have been influenced by the action ot the Provincial 
Congress, for this body convened for the first time at Salem 
in Oct. 1774, at the very time these events were transpiring. 

One of the first acts of the Provincial Congress was the 
passage of a resolution advising the towns not to pay any 
monies collected on Provincial assessments to the Hon. Har- 
rison Gray, but to retain the same subject to an order from 
a constitutional assembly of the Province. 

In May the town established a night watch to stand 
from 9 o'clock in the evening till sunrise the following morn- 
ing. This watch was regulated by a committee and each 
watcher was to receive one shilling and sixpence for every 
night he should watch. This committee had power to call 
on every citizen capable of performing this duty to watch in 
his turn. 

The people now began to realize the exposedness of their 
situation and the danger of being starved out for the want 
of provisions after the commencement of hostilities, and they 
called a meeting in May 1775 and instructed Timothy Crock- 
er, Joseph Parker and Nathaniel Shiverick to procure a quan- 
tity of bread com not exceeding one thousand bushels and 
store it in some safe place and to sell it to those persons in 
the town that should stand in need of it and also to supply 
the poor according to their discretion. They were also di- 
rected to procure a lot of fire-arms on the town's account 
and to get the money necessary for these purposes on the 
credit of the town, on the best terms they can. The pro- 
ceedings of this meeting introduce us to a man who took a 
very prominent part in the revolutionary contest, and whose 
memory ought to be sacredly cherished by the people of this 



So HI8T0BY OF FALMOUTH. 

town. I refer to Gen. Joseph Dimmick, a warm hearted 
patriot and a brave and enterprising man. The town voted 
to raise a company called minute men, paying them 2S. per 
day for every day's actual duty, and Major Joseph Dimmick 
was desired to enlist the men and take charge of them ; said 
men were to be enjoined by said Dimmick when they en- 
listed to proceed on any duty he should order them. Said 
Dimmick was to have them instructed in exercise two days in 
each week until the town should order otherwise. At the same 
meeting they added Job Parker and Barachiah Bassett to their 
committee of correspondence. It is evident from the trans- 
actions here alluded to, that there must have been great en- 
thusiasm among the people at this time. When we con- 
sider the general scarcity of money at this period and the 
caution that had been observed in imposing the pubUc bur- 
dens, we are astounded at the almost unbounded liberaUty they 
now manifested. Property seemed to have lost its value in 
their estimation, and they came and poured it out on the 
altar of hberty as freely as water. The fact was, civil free- 
dom was dearer to our fathers than either property or life. 

The following is a copy of a letter received about this 
time from the Committee of Safety sitting at Concord, which 
was well calculated to raise still highter the tide of enthusi- 
asm that had thus begun to rise. 

"April 20, 1775. 

Gentlemen : — The barbarous murders committed on our 
innocent brethren, on Wednesday, the 19th inst, (referring to 
the battle at Lexington) have made it absolutely necessary 
that we immediately raise an army to defend our wives and 
children from the butchering hands of an inhuman soldiery 



HIST on Y OF FALMOUTH. 8 1 

who, incensed at the obstacles they meet with, in their bloody 
progress, and enraged at being repulsed from the field of 
slaughter, will, without the least doubt, take the first oppor- 
tunity in their power to ravage this devoted country with fire 
and sword. We conjure you, therefore, by all that is sacred, 
that you give assistance in forming an army. Our all is at 
stake. Death and devastation are the certain consequences ot 
delay. Every moment is infinitely precious. An hour lost 
may deluge your country in blood and entail perpetual slavery 
upon the few of our posterity who may survive the carnage. 
We beg and entreat, as you will answer to your country, 
to your own consciences and above all to God Himself, 
that you will hasten and encourage by all possible means, 
the enlistment of men to form the army and to send them 
forward to head-quarters, at Cambridge, with that expedi- 
tion, which the vast importance and instant urgency of the 
affair demands." 

This urgent call seems not to have met with immediate 
response and the reason will be obvious as we, proceed. The 
whole force in this region was needed to defend the sea board. 
British vessels of war had begun to frequent the Vineyard 
Sound and to cruise around the islands in this vicinity, and 
the crews had become very insolent whenever they came in 
contact with our people. About the time the above letter 
was received by the town, the British sloop of war, Falkland, 
Capt. Lindzey, came into Tarpaulin Cove, and the crew were 
very abusive to the family of Elisha Nye, who was dwelling 
there as inn- keeper. This Nye drew up a deposition in re- 
gard to the affair and forwarded it to Mr. Bowdoin, at Dor- 
chester, who laid it before the Third Provincial Congress, then 



82 HIST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. 

sitting at Watertown, whereupon the Congress passed the fol- 
lowing Resolution.* 

"Resolved, that Capt. John Grannisf be, and he is here- 
by empowered immediately to engage thirty good, able-bodied, 
effective men, to be paid by this colony, well provided with 
arms and ammunition, and to cause them to be provided with 
suitable provisions, to repair without delay to the Elizabeth Is- 
lands to protect the stock, &c., &c." This company was raised 
in this town and . several gentlemen are now living among us, 
who formed a part of the expedition. 

A short time after. Congress voted that the number of 
men ordered to be raised at Falmouth for the protection of 
the Elizabeth Islands be raised to 50, and placed on the 
same footing with other companies in the Colony service. 

In 1776 although the town must have been considerably 
in debt, ^^looo was raised to defray town charges. At a 
meeting in Oct., of this 3'ear, the town voted its consent that 
"the (then) present house of Representatives should enact such 
a constitution and form of government as shall most conduce 
to the safety, peace and happiness in this state, &c.," and 
Esquire Shiverick was despatched to court with a copy of the 
town's proceedings. This year the town voted, "To add one 
pound, sixteen shillings to the wages of such citizens as should 
be drafted for the Continental Army." Also, " Voted, to 
stand by the Continental Congress." In 1777 there was 
great distress on account of the scarcity of bread stuff. A 
public meeting was called in December and a committee ap- 

• Mr. Moses Swift was at this time a member of the Provincial Con- 

g^i'ess from this town. 

t Capt. Grannis lived at that time where Mr. Thomas Lewis, Jr. 

now, 1843, resides. 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 83 

pointed to send to any of the United States they might think 
best and purchase 500 bushels of corn for the use of the 
poor of the town, the same to be at the town's risk if lost 
by the way. 

In 1778 money was raised by the town to hire men for 
the Continental Army, and Major Dimmick was chairman of a 
committee to procure the men. Nathaniel Shiverick, Esq., 
was about this time sent on a mission to Boston to procure 
arms, powder and lead for the use of the town. Maj. Dim- 
mick raised about a doz^ men for the army, who were put 



f . 



under the command of \ Maj. Ha mlin, of Barnstable, and 
marched to head-quarters at Cambridge. They served there 
three months and were employed in guarding the prisoners of 
Burgoyne's arfiny. William Green was of this company and 
he became notorious for having shot " Sir Richard Brown, " a 
distinguished officer in Burgoyne's army. The circumstances 
of this case were related by his brother, Mr. Jonathan 
Green, who was an eye-witness of the event and to whom I 
am indebted for many interesting facts relating to the period 
we are now considering. This officer attempted to cross the 
line in a chaise with two women, intending to go into Bos- 
ton. He had been seen to do this before, and Green had 
been admonished that if he allowed it again he would be re- 
ported to his superior officer. He commanded him to stop 
or take the contents of his gun. The officer drove on and 
Green did not even raise his gun to his eye, but snapped it 
from his side. The ball passed through the carriage into the 
back of the officer and killed him on the spot. There was 
a great riot and tumult. Green fled to the guard house, 
where the American officers could scarcely protect him from 



84 HI8T0BY OF FALMOUTH. 

the English soldiery. They demanded his trial by a court 
martial ; he was tried and promptly acquitted. 

This company served at Cambridge three months. The 
same year a company was raised in this county, under the 
command of Capt. Job Crocker, of Yarmouth, and marched 
to Rhode Island, having their head-quarters at Tiverton. Sev- 
eral men from this town joined this expedition, Lot Dim- 
mick being Lieut, of the company. The company was af- 
terwards stationed two months in this town, when it was 
ordered to Dorchester. 

The year 1779 is rendered memorable in our history by 
the visit of an English fleet, consisting of ten sail, with the 
avowed determination to burn the town. I have been at 
considerable pains to ascertain the facts in the case and have 
received them from three respectable individuals, who were 
participators in the transactions here recorded. We will first 
glance 'at some of the causes that made the people of this 
town particularly obnoxious to the enemy of our country. 
It has been before remarked that the numerous islands and 
harbours in this vicinity afforded facilities for the operations of 
the English fleet. Their principal place of rendezvous was at 
Tarpaulin Cove. Here their larger vessels could lie with com- 
parative safety, whilst their barges and "shaving mills" were 
sent out armed with soldiers to harrass and annoy the inhab- 
itants of the adjacent shores.* 

* These were large, open boats built of light materials and about 

three times the size of an ordinaiy "Vineyard sail boat." Some of them 
were oven larger. They carried masts, on each of which was a large 
sail. These could lie unshippeil and stowed away when occasion required. 
They mounted a large gun in the bow, and were manned by about 25 men 
well armed. The origin of the name, "Shaving mill" I have not ascer- 
tained. They were built undoubtedly for fast sailing, and as sailors say 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 85 

They frequently found it difficult to obtain supplies, and 
seized every favorable opportunity to land in a clandestine 
manner to drive off the cattle and plunder the unprotected 
families. The people of this town were in a constant state 
of alarm. There was not a moment's security but from a 
constant watch which was kept up by men stationed all along 
these shores. But our people were not satisfied with acting 
on the defensive. We had many brave and bold spirits 
among us, and it was their glory to get up an expedition 
with Maj. Dimmick at their head, to cut off an English ves- 
sel occasionally and to retake such prizes as had been taken 
by the enemy. They had become very expert in stratagem 
and were a constant annoyance to the English vessels in our 
vvaters. The English had become greatly exasperated by the 
annoyances and were determined to avenge themselves on the 
people of this town. One special circumstance is said to 
have been the immediate cause of the visit of the fleet here 
at this particular time. They had run short of provisions, 
and watching a favorable opportunity they landed about the 
I St of April with their boats at Woods Hole. It being the 
latter part of the night, they managed to escape the notice 
of the guard and having in their companv a refugee as a guide 
proceeded on to the estate of Ephraim and Manassah Swift, 
swept off their cattle consisting of twelve head, drove them 
to the beach where they knocked them in the head, but be- 
fore they could get them on board their boats they were sur- 
prised and obliged to put off without their ill-gotten booty.* 

of a vessel that sails well on the wind -"she shaves the wind very close," 
it is very probable these were called "shaving mills"' on account of their 
peculiar sharp sailing. 

§ It was Manassah Swift's wife of whom the anecdote is told J con- 



86 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

On their return to the fleet, it was decided to move the 
fleet down, land their troops and burn the town. April 3rd 
was the day appointed for the conflagration of this devoted 
town. The evening previous the officers of the fleet repaired 
to the house of John Slocum a renowned tory residing on 
the island of Pesque to enjoy a frolic, and while there Slocom 
overheard them planning their expedition to Falmouth. Not- 
withstanding his tory principles, he could not see this town 
destroyed without a warning, and is said to have sent his son 
immediately down the islands, who crossed the Hole in the 
night, and gave the warning at Woods Hole. All was bus- 
tle and excitement. Expresses were sent to the neighboring 
towns, and entrenchments thrown up as expeditiously as pos- 
sible on the shore to protect our soldiery. The expected 
fleet consisting of ten sail of schooners and sloops hove in 
sight early on the morning of the 3rd and came to anchor 
at the present wharf about 9 o'clock near the shore to facil- 
itate the landing of the troops. They were surprised to find 

cemmg' tbc cheese. I have taken pains to authenticate this anecdote and 
will relate it in substance as I received it from two aged people who were 
familiar with the circumstance. The i-efugee who had come as the pilot 
of tliis expedition was well acquainted with the worldly condition of these 
worthy families and among other things told tlie party that Manassah's 
wife kept a nice dairy. All at once their "mouths began to water" for 
some of the good woman's cheese, and cheese they would have. So, 
while the main body were robbing the stalls a party drew off and pro- 
ceeded to the hou.se. The woman was alone with her children. She 
met the party at her door and inquired if they had a commander. A 
man stepped forward saying he had the honor of commanding the com- 
pany, to Avhom she replied that her house was defended br no man and 
she presumed him to be so much of a gentlemin as to have no desire to 
molest a helpless woman with her children. He asked her if she had 
any cheese. She replied yes, but no more than she desired for her own 
use. He replied that he would buy her cheese, to which she answei-ed 
she had none to sell, and besides, they shouldn't have a crumb. With 
the sneaking guide to lead they proceeded direct to the cheese room and 
two of the soldiers ran, each of them his bayonet into a nice fat cheese. 
This dastardly act raised the good woman's wrath. She stationed herself 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 87 

a considerable force assembled to oppose them, but neverthe- 
less proceeded to disembark. Their boats were got out and 
filled with men; on nearing the shore they found our force 
was much stronger than they had anticipated and laid on their 
oars, f There were then assembled on the beach four compa- 
nies of militia, viz. : two from this town, one commanded by 
Esquire Palmer of this village, and the other from North 
Falmouth, commanded by Capt. Ward Swift ; two from Sand- 
wich, one from "Snake pond" and the other from Sandwich 
town, commanded by Capt. Sim€oo,.,;.-Iti§k, making in all, a 
force of about 200 men, all under the command of Gen. 
Freeman of SandwichJjS^ 

Col. Dimmick was the next in command. He paraded 
the breast-work concealing the men and ordered them not to 
fire a gun till the boats should strike the shore. The boats 
now pulled towards Nobsque. Col. Dimmick called out a 
detachment of 25 men and followed them on the shore. 
Finding it to hazardous too attempt to land, the boats re- 
turned to the vessels which now commenced a smart cannon- 
ade. The most urgent entreaties could not induce Col. 

at the door and as they retreated she grasped the cheeses and slipping 
them from the points of their bayonets into the ample folds of her blue 
checked apron commenced witli her tongue such a well directed tii-e as com- 
pletely to subdue them. 8he called them a valiant set indeed— fitted for 
just two things, to rob hen roosts and make hen-pecked husbands. They 
could not stand this broad sidt, but rushing to tlic door were glad to 
make good their retreat and join their companions with the poor old dead 
cows at the beach. The worthy dame, however, stood at the door shout- 
ing their disgrace as long as they were within hearing. 

* A note, supposed to have been added here by the Rev. Frederick 

Freeman who had the use of these "Lectures'* while preparing his Ilife- 
torj' of Cape Cod, states that Gen. Freeman was not in command on this 
occasion, nor was he a General, or was Dimmick a Col. at this time. 
Gen. Otis was in command. Freeman was not a general till 1731. Prob- 
ably these titles were the ones by which those who narrated this incident 
long afterwards, knew Freeman and Dimmick. [E. H. J.] 



y 



2& HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

Dimmick to protect himself in the trench ; he continued to 
pace the breast-work whilst the balls were flying around him 
and with every report of a gun would wave his sword in de- 
fiance. One of his men now living says he appeared as he 
passed him on the breast-work, to be engaged in prayer. 
Who can doubt that a special divine providence protected 
this brave man in the midst of such imminent peril. The 
enemy endeavored to fire the town by means of missiles 
termed "hoits," which were known as they flew through the 
air by a peculiar hissing sound ; but they did not accomplish 
their design. The weather was peculiarly favorable for our 
people. It was April thaw, and when the balls struck there 
was little or no rebound, so that, except where they first 
struck they did but little damage. Many buildings were hit 
but there was comparatively little damage done to the village 
generally. Finding they could accomplish no more, the prin- 
cipal part of the fleet left next morning and entered Woods 
Hole Harbor. The remaining part proceeded up sound. A 
detachment of soldiers were ordered to follow the shore and 
watch their movements. One of these vessels entered the 
Hole and landed at the Island. Our men went down on 
the nearest point, the neck of land below the present wind 
mill and watched her operations. Her boat landed and Paul 
Robinson who lived there was robbed of all his stock. 
They did not even spare his pig.* 

* In the company that was sent to watch the motions of the sails 

that entered the "Hole" after the hombarbment, was one Simeon Hamlin- 
a noted wag of the town. They were standing at the nearest extreme 
point of the main laud nicely scanning all the movements of the enemy; 
saw them land, drive down the unfortunate man's cattle and finally take 
from his pen a young porker and toss him into the boat. Piggy was 
no tory and not liking such rough usage he Set up a crj- of reproach, 
pitched at the highest key. Hamlin sat down on a rock and began to 






HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 89 

A large fleet came into the Sound Sep. 9th, of this year 
(1779) and there was a great muster and much excitement, 
but they passed by, said to be destined for Chatham. The 
alarms were almost constant and there was an effort made to 
re-take almost every vessel that was captured by the English 
in these waters. The first thing to be done on these occa- 
sions was to run to Col. Dimmick. By day or night he 
was ready at a moment's warning to rally his forces and go 
in pursuit of the enemy. This truly brave man who did 
so much for his country must not pass without a more ex- 
tended notice. 

Gen. Joseph Dimmick was born in 1773. He was father 
of Hon. Braddock Dimmick who lived on the estate now 
owned by his son Mr. John Dimmick. He was about 40 
years of age when the Revolution broke out, and at that 
time held the rank of Colonel in the militia. He is said to 
have been with his son ploughing in his field when a special 
messenger arrived, announcing the battle of Bunker Hill, and 
summoning him to the scene of conflict. He paused for a 
moment, looked as solemn as death ; — "Braddock," said he, 
"you must look to the team, I must go." He had a sis- 
ter-in-law who was a tory in feeling. Seeing the step he 
was about to take, she rushed in, and with uplifted arms be- 
sought him not to commit so rash and wicked an act as to 
array himself against his Majesty's forces. But he was of 
"sterner stuff" than to be turned aside from the course his 
patriotism had marked before him. He had now enlisted in 
and for the war. He may be said to have been the life 

cry. His comrades asked him why he cried? "Why," says he "I hear 
that poor pig, and can't help ci-ying, to tee how those cruel Englsh will 
treat their fellow bt^ings." 



) 



90 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

and soul of the military movements in this region. He was 
always on the alert to cut off the English privateers and 
"shaving mills" and was almost always successful. At one 
time a schooner was sent to the Connecticut River for corn, 
which had become extremely scarce and was selling here at 
that time at $3 per bushel. The schooner was intercepted 
by a privateer as she was just entering the Sound, but the 
Capt. escaped in his boat before she was captured, and ar- 
rived at Col. Dimmick's about midnight in great distress at 
the loss of his vessel and her valuable cargo. The Col. 
jumped from his bed, giving the distressed Capt. an encourag- 
ing word that greatly revived him, and soon had his right 
hand man, his brother Lot, in motion, who mustered about 
20 men and started for Woods Hole. They there procured 
three whale boats and pulled silently to Tarpaulin Cove. 
They arrived there before day-light and it being cold the 
Col. allowed his men to land, and finding a hollow where 
they would be unobserved, they made a fire and "longed 
for the day." With the first glimmer of light they dis- 
covered the privateer with her prize in the Cove and imme- 
diately pulled for the prize. Thev were fired on from both 
vessels and they smartly returned the fire, wounding one man 
fatally. They boarded and re-took the prize and quickly 
getting her under way ran her on shore at the west end of 
the Vineyard. The Privateer following, the Falmouth party 
was repulsed and obliged to abandon the prize and land on 
the island. They soon returned to the conflict with new 
courage, again re-took the prize and drove off the privateer. 
Where the tide flowed the schooner was got off and safely 
arrived at Woods Hole with her precious cargo to the great 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 91 

joy of the inhabitants. A considerable number of similar skir- 
mishes might be described illustrating the daring and bravery 
of our people led on by this valiant man. Only one other 
will be related which was regarded at the time as a very 
successful exploit. A messenger arrived at Col. Dimmick's in 
the evening, informing him that there were two English Pri- 
vateers in Old Town Harbor with a prize schooner they had 
taken. He mustered 25 men and proceeded to Woods Hole 
where they got a sloop and started for Edgartown, Capt. 
Thomas Jones acting as pilot. They left Woods Hole at 2 
o'clock and arrived at Edgartown Harbor just at day-break 
and then discovered to their surprise, that an English ship of 
war lay in Holmes Hole Harbor. But they determined not 
to run. They could not weather the outer privateer but ran 
by her whilst she was firing signals for the ship of war to 
come to her relief They boarded and took the inner priva- 
teer at once. Having now no time to spare and their re- 
treat to this place being cut off, they put their vessels before 
the wind and ran for Oyster Island, where they safely arrived 
with their prize which was manned by 33 men. These were 
landed and marched off to Boston as prisoners of war. 

Col. Dimmick did not receive his commission as General 
until after the war. He was afterward appointed " High 
Sheriff" of the county, an office that he held for 25 years. 
It is said of him that he was extremely self-possessed in 
seasons of great danger and that he was humane and gener- 
ous as well as bold and daring. He was very affectionate 
in his disposition, and remarkable for his attention to children, 
seldom passing them in the street without a friendly recogni- 
tion, and any child was proud of the opportunity of " making 



92 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

his manners " to General Dimmick. He represented this Dis- 
trict in the Senate for three years about 1807. Gen. Dim- 
mick was widely known as a brave man and highly respected. 
He was presented with a sword after the war by some citi- 
zens of Providence. Being at one time in Boston on busi- 
ness he received an invitation from Gov. Hancock to attend 
a large dinner party. On entering the dining hall he was 
particularly requested by the Gov. to take the seat of honor 
at the table. The circumstance, trivial in itself illus- 
trates the estimation in which he was held. The deeds 
of Gen. Dimmick rank him as a "hero of the Revolution," 
and as such may his townsmen ever honor his memory. Al- 
lusion has been made to Mr. Lot Dimmick. He was a 
brother of the General and usually accompanied him on his expe- 
ditions. He possessed all the fire and courage of the Gen. 
but was greatly his inferior in judgment, and in some other 
traits that marked his character. It may be said of him 
that he feared nothing human. It was his delight to be at 
the post of danger, and he was generally selected when any 
hazardous enterprise was to be undertaken. I have heard an 
anecdote of him which will show that he was always found 
ready to discharge his part of the service when the word of 
command was given. Two sloops had been fitted out from 
this place which were successful in taking a valuable prize, a 
loaded brig that lay in Nantucket Harbor. As the sloops be- 
gan to near the brig, but long before word to fire was given, 
he was seen to be manoeuvering with his gun. "Dimmick," 
said his comrades, "what are you doing?" "I am trying," 
said he, " to see if I can get two of them rascally English- 
men in range. " 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 93 

The following epitaph is inscribed on his tomb-stone : 
"He merited this noblest of mottoes — An honest man. " He 
died in 181 9, aged 80. 

By an order of the general court passed in June, 1780, 
military officers were directed to draft men for the Continen- 
tal army. This mode of raising men was very unpopular in 
this town, there being a prevalent feeling that the men should 
go voluntarily. The public feeling was so strong that it 
was voted in a town meeting that the men could not be 
procured in that way and the military officers were ad- 
vised not to attempt it, but the town offered to every volun- 
teer $20 per month, and appointed a very large committee to 
act with the selectmen in raising the requisite number of men. 
A tax was immediately assessed on the town of ;^i200 in 
gold or silver for the payment of the volunteers. About 20 
men were enlisted and were ordered to West Point, where 
they served about six months. After their return they served 
for a while as a guard on these shores. 

A volume might be written respecting the deeds of our 
revolutionary fathers, A few of the principal events have been nar- 
rated to illustrate their privations, courage and patriotism. We 
shall be unworthy the name Americans if we cease to honor 
the memory of these departed heroes, or fail to treat with 
the highest marks of respect, the few of their surviving com- 
rades that yet linger among us. 

The treaty of peace in 1783 was hailed with joy by our 
harassed and suffering people. 

From 1780* to 1800 there appears to have been nothing 

* The winter of 1780 was an uncommonly cold one. The Bay froze 

over so that in January one Sampson attempted to cany a man named 
Price in a sleigh to New Bedtord. The horse fell through the ice and 
was drowned. 



94 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

of a public nature transpiring of very general interest, and our 
people were rapidly recovering from the ravages of the war. 
The events of the Revolution had made the people bold and 
enterprising and in the various pursuits of lawful industry 
they found an ample reward. 

The special legislation of the town during this season was 
in reference to the finny tribe as well as four footed beasts 
of the earth, two forms of life that have given the good 
people of this towTi considerable trouble all through their his- 
tory. I refer to sheep and hogs and alewives or herrings. 
Hogs were allowed to run at large till 1795, when they were 
forbidden by vote of the town. This rendered necessary the 
appointment of hog reaves, an office which has now become 
almost obsolete among us and a matter of ridicule, but in 
those days it was a respectable and useful office. Oysters, too, 
required considerable legislation, and it is much to be re- 
gretted that the efforts made to preserve them were not suc- 
cessful. The great trouble was respecting the regulation of 
the herring fishery which will be more particularly alluded to 
hereafter. The subject of vaccination for the small-pox had 
been discussed with considerable warmth and the town had 
declared bv vote that "inoculation should not be set up in 
this town." But in 1797 a more liberal spirit prevailed and 
Dr. Francis Weeks was allowed to establish a hospital for 
this purpose under the regulations of a committee consisting 
of Gen. Dimmick, Col. Bassett and Thomas Jones. This 
hospital was located at Nobsque and the building used for 
this purpose was the one now (1843) occupied as a dwell- 
ing house by Mr. John Weeks on the Shore Road. 



HIST OB Y FO FALMOUTH. 95 

In 1797 a proposition was made to separate the people 
on the North Shore from this town, to be annexed to the 
town of Sandwich and John Robinson was sent as a special 
agent of the town to the General Court to remonstrate 
against it. In 1797 a wharf was built at Little Sipervvisset. 

In 1800 a public building was projected by certain pro- 
prietors for a school house, a Masonic Lodge and for a 
town house, provided the town would agree to', the same. It 
seems the town however decUned having any interest in it, 
and the plan of a lodge and a school house was carried in- 
to effect by the proprietors. The meetings of the proprietors 
were held at Mr. Shubael Hatch's tavern, Capt. Timothy 
Crocker presiding. The contract of $675.00 for building the 
house was given to Mr. Elijah Swift. It had originally a 
tower and belfry at the west end. The house was erected 
in this year and is the one now owned by Mr. James Swift. 
An old school house stood on the same spot which was re- 
moved or taken down the same season. This seems to have 
been conducted as a kind of public high school, the district 
(which then extended over the whole village) deciding that 
any child going- to school who was not able to read in a 
class in a man's school should be turned over to a woman's 
school by order of the school master or agent. 

In 1803 there is a record of a very notorious dog in 
town which had become so troublesome, that the town voted 
a bounty of ten dollars on his head, requiring that the dead 
dog be presented whole to the selectmen, desiring probably 
to see what kind of a looking animal this said mischievous 
dog might be. 

The people of this day were divided in their political 



96 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

opinions and there were seasons when party spirit ran high. 
The two respective parties were known as Federal and Repub- 
lican. This town was decidely republican. In 1805 ^^ ^^^ 
the majority to be very large. At the election of governor, 
James Sullivan the republican candidate received 132 votes 
and Caleb Strong the opposing candidate but 12 votes. 

James Hinckley, Esq. was chosen town clerk ni 1804, 
and served the town very acceptably either as clerk or select- 
men until his death in 181 2. 

In the same year Joshua Crowell was lost in Boston Bay 
with his crew consisting of Samuel Nye, Benjamin Wing, Job 
Weeks and Jason Bumpus. The vessel was towed into Ply- 
mouth the next day. 

In 1806 the everlasting controversy respecting the passage 
of alewives into Coonamesset Pond was commenced or rather 
renewed in earnest, and for a long series of years it raged 
with great spirit. No pubhc question has ever been dis- 
cussed in this town for so long a time and with so much 
warmth of feeling as this. It assumed a party character, and 
the ablest men in the town were arrayed against each other 
in the discussion. Gen. Dimmick was the great champion for 
the herring party. The facts of the case as near as I can 
gather from the records of the day was something like this : 

This party desired the town to open a free passage for 
the fish into Coonamesset Pond. To do this, certain ob- 
structions must be removed, some mill privileges interfered 
with, individual rights might be invaded, &c., ard the oppo- 
sing party being the strongest in point of number the town 
refused to open the way. The herring party then resolved 
to take the responsibility on themselves and asked permission 



HISTOB Y OF FALMO VTH. g f 

of the town to open said way as individuals. There was 
raised a great question, namely, whether the town had the 
power to transfer by vote, a town right to individuals. Af- 
ter this question had been well sifted by the respective par- 
ties, the town appointed Thomas Fish, Esq. to take legal ad- 
vice on the town's account. His report was made in writiugj 
stating that he had consulted three professors of law, and 
that their opinion was, that a town right could not by vote 
be legally given up to individuals. The herring party were 
however by no means discouraged. They were fully deter- 
mined that herrings should go up Coonemesset River, whilst 
the opposing were as fully determined that they should re- 
main in the waters below. I believe this question remains 
undecided to the present day and it is not certain but that 
our descendants may yet fish herring out of Coonemesset Pond. 

Gen. Dimmick now petitioned the legislature for this right 
that the town had not the power to grant, and the town in 
1810 had to pay a bill of ^124 to David Nye, Esq., for' 
opposing said petition at the General Court. 

The excitement occasioned by this controversy was loiig' 
continued, and at the period we are now considering reached 
a melancholy crisis. The anti-herring party had procured a 
cannon and mounted it on the meeting-house green, put in a 
heavy charge of powder and rammed down as wadding as 
many harmless herring as could be got into it. Amidst 
the shouts and curses of the contending parties the match 
was applied, the gim burst with the explosion and the man 
that applied the match was killed by the fragments. This 
tragical event was not an unmixed evil for it put an end to 
the excitement for the time being, but the controversy was 
not settled. 



98 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

In 1805 liberty was given to a company to build a wharf, 
and a certain part of the town landing was set off to them 
for this purpose. A small cob wharf stood at that place 
some time previous to this, but when it was built cannot now 
be determined. This wharf was built of logs filled in with 
stones and was washed away in the great gale of 1815, 
having stood but about ten years. The present stone wharf 
was built in 181 7. 

The Falmouth Artillery Company was formed in 1807, 
commanded by Capt. Weston Jenkins. It received a charter 
and was furnished by the State government with brass field 
pieces and the usual accompanying apparatus. Their arsenal, 
familiarly known as the "Gun house" was situated near the 
site of Lawrence Academy. This was for many years a spir- 
ited and effective company and became so well known in the 
last war with England that a formal demand was made for 
its cannon by the English brig Nimrod. The refusal occa- 
sioned a bombardment of the town that proved very destruc- 
tive to the most exposed buildings of the village. The 
martial spirit seemed to dwindle as that generation passed 
away, the company was disbanded and the armament returned 
to the state from which it had been received. 

About 1808 a great rage commenced in this town for 
new roads. A road was petitioned for, from the main road 
to the town landing. The town offered the petitioners a lot 
of land lying near the landing and $134.75, — and the petition- 
ers agreed to open the road on their own account. Esquire 
Jones also wanted a road from North Shore Road to Tateket. 
The town refusing he applied to the Court of Sessions, and 
the town sent James Hinckley as its agent to said Court to 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 99 

oppose the same. Esquire Jones got his road and the town 
had to pay James Hinckley ^41.81 for his trouble and ex- 
pense in opposing it. Two roads were prayed for from 
North to East Falmouth, one was refused, and the other or- 
dered to be laid out by the selectmen. 

In 1 8 10 Braddock Dimmick, Esq. was chosen representa- 
tive from this town, and the year following Thomas Fish, Esq. 
was elected his colleague. These men were at that time 
truly the fathers of the town. They filled the most impor- 
tant town offices for a period of about 25 years. Esquire 
Dimmick was a member of the House of Representatives 
about ten years and also was a Senator from Barnstable Coun- 
ty three years, and subsequently one of the Governor's 
council. Esquire Fish represented his native town at the 
general court 20 years and on his retirement was the senior 
member of the house. They still abide with us (1843) the 
respected and honored representatives of by-gone days. 

We will now bring up the ecclesiastical history to the 
present period. 

The death of Rev. Mr. Palmer was a very heavy afflic- 
tion to this church. His funeral was attended April isth, 
1775, ^^^^^ which a day of fasting and prayer was appointed. 
The town also expressed sympathy in a substantial way for 
his widow and family by allowing them the use of certain 
public lands after his decease. The church was supplied by 
the neighboring pastors until July when the Rev. Zebulon But- 
ler, of Nantucket, was called, and settled. His ministry was 
of short continuance. He was ordained August 19th, 1775, 
and dismissed at his own request July 1778. He sent a 



lOO HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

written communication to the church expressing his "hearty- 
thanks" for their <;ompUance with his request.* 

Rev. Isaiah Mann, of Scituate, was next invited by the 
church and concurred in by the town to become pastor and 
minister. Eight churches were represented at his ordination 
which took place Jan. 19th, 1780.! 

The first Friends' meeting house was taken down about 
the year 1775. It stood near the estate of Curtis Bower- 
man. The second house of worship stood where the present 
one stands, and was taken down in 1842. 

Mr. Mann married Miss Zipporah, daughter of Mr. Isaiah 
Nickerson of this town. He died April 2nd, 1789, aged 30 
years. 

At a town meeting holden soon after his death it was 
"voted to give Mrs. Mann the improvement of the school 
house lot this year, and the rye growing on the hill lot and 
the fire wood that is cut." Mr. Mann was much respected 
by his people. There were twenty-nine added to the church 
during his ministry of nine years. 

— * There were serious charges brought against Mr. Butler deeply in- 
volving his moral chai-acter- There was not sufficient evidence at the time 
to convict him, but the church feeling satisfied of the truth of the charges, 
his dismissiou was voted in a'-.coi-daiice witli his request. These charges 
were afterwards found to be true. Mr. Butler returned to Nantucket and 
became a manufacturer of snuff. He lived to an old age. 

— T At the oi-dination, Mr. Mann was not able to produce his certificate 
ot church membership from the church in Scitu;ite, which it is said had 
been delayed by bad weather. The council would not ordain him until 
the church had received hiui into full communion. The church did this, 
with the expressed condition that Mi-. Mann should have the said certifi- 
cate forthcoming as .soon as convenient. It was received and put on rec- 
ord the ."ith of the following March. I have been particular to mention 
this circumstance because a question has come up in these latter days, 
whether it is according to Congregational usage to demand of a clergryman 
at his ordination a certificate of his church membership. 



HI ST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. lOI 

The following inscription may be found on his tomb 

stone. "In memory of Mr. Isaiah Mann, who died April 

20th, 1789. in the 30th year of his age and the loth of his 
ministry. 

Those gifts and graces filled his heavenly mind, 

Which made him loved, revered by all mankind, 

He wisely taught his little flock the road 

To glory, honour, happiness and God. 

He lived and died a man of virtuous life. 

Lamented by bis people, friends and wife, 

Peace to liis sacred dust which hero must lie 

Till roused to i-e-unite the soul in yon ethereal sky." 

It is supposed the church and state principle was given 
up with the decease of Mr. Mann, as town action relating to 
the calling and support of the clergy ceased at this period. 
It is true that the records were still entered on the town's 
book but it was ever after in the name of the Society as 
such. 

In 1789 — Rev. Henry Lincoln, of Hingham, was invited 
to take pastoral charge of the church. The following extract 
is taken from his letter of acceptance of December 31st, 1789: 
* * * " Confident from your late expressions of friendship 
and affection towards me that you will ever cheerfully con- 
tribute to my temporal support as circumstances shall require, 
and never see me in distressed or embarrassed circumstances. 
May we be happy together, united in love and industriously 
strive together to advance each other's temporal and spiritual 
interests. May I be so happy as to enjoy your prayers and 
good wishes, and that candor that should ever subsist among 
Christian brethren. We are all imperfect creatures, and 
therefore liable to err. Let us then cultivate mutual forbear- 
ance. My youth and inexperience have certainly a Christian 
claim upon you for it. In this respect then may I not be 



102 HIST OB Y OF FALMOUTH. 

disappointed. From a consideration of my many imperfec- 
tions, and insufficiency for these things, I am almost led to 
despair, but trusting in him who hath said " My grace is suf- 
ficient for you," I take courage and humbly hope that the 
good spirit of the Lord will enable us to discharge the various 
duties incumbent on us to Him and one another in a humble 
and becoming manner. I am, brethren, with Christian affec- 
tion and regard, your friend and humble servant in the Lord. 

Henry Lincoln. 

To the Church and Congregation &c." 

In 1795 t^^ Society voted to build a new meeting house. 
Up to this time, the whole town, with the exception of the 
society of Friends had come to the village to attend public 
worship. There now being quite a large population at the 
north-east part of the town, a proposition was made to have 
the new meeting house placed nearer the center of the town- 
ship, somewhere nearer the present residence of Mr. Abishai 
Green. The people in the centre, objecting, it was finally 
agreed that two meeting houses should be built. A line was 
run from John Lawrence's in Tataket to Benjamin Crowell's, 
on the North Shore which was supposed to divide the socie- 
ty equally, and each division was to have a meeting house. 
An arrangement was also made with Mr, Lincoln to preach 
at the " East House the proportionable part of time according 
to the tax they pay." The present Congregational meeting 
house was built in 1796. The interior of the house was 
planned by a Committee consisting of Gen. Dimmick, Dr. 
Weeks, Mr. Benjamin Sandford, John Lawrence, David Swift 
and Sylvanus Davis. The society reserved the four corner 
pews for the use of the poor, the remainder were sold and 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 103 

a vote passed that the balance remaining after paying for the 
erection of the house should be expended for a bell. A 
balance still remaining, it was voted to divide the same to 
the pew-holders. It appears from the record that Rev. Mr, 
Lincoln was not settled on a permanent, fixed salary. It 
fluctuated from year to year with the rise or fall of the nec- 
essaries of life. It was found that great practical evils grew 
out of this state of things, and in 1805 his salary was fixed 
for life at $500 per annum, and the use of the parsonage 
lands. It was the general practice in the early history of 
the church in this country to settle pastors for life, and how- 
ever impolitic^ we now consider such contracts to be, it may 
be a matter of interest to us to look at the arguments that 
were then employed in favor of the arrangement. On this 
occasion, as it appears from the records of the society, the 
arguments employed were these. That the reputation, useful- 
ness, safety, peace and domestic happiness of the clerg)'man 
and the union and harmony of the society depended in a 
great measure on its adoption. That there were irreligious 
men in the community who were opposed to the support of 
gospel worship and the question annually coming up respect- 
ing the clergyman's support, they seized that opportunity to 
revile gospel institutions and endeavored to weaken that confi- 
dence and love that should ever exist between a minister and 
people. The law of those days obliged every man to con- 
tribute to the support of public worship but there were some 
who, enjoying all the privileges of the gospel, used every ar- 
tifice to throw off their just and equal burden imposed for 
its support. There are however many instances recorded 
where individuals made it to appear that they had conscien- 



I04 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

tious scruples on this subject, and their tax was promptly 
remitted. This was the case particularly with persons 
claiming to be Friends or Quakers. It appears from the 
earliest records that when a proper representation was made 
by such, a vote freeing them from this responsibility was 
freely given, and it is to be hoped that our worthy neigh- 
bours of this sedl, when thinking of the cruel persecution 
of the Quakers, will not forget these acts of liberality 
on the part of the good people of this town. I have been 
particularly pleased with a transaction of this nature recorded 
as late as the period we are now considering, viz, 1805. 
As it reflects so much credit on the principles and feelings 
of the parties concerned, I have been tempted to copy it 
entire. 

"To the Moderator of the Annual meeting of the Con- 
gregational Society in the town of Falmouth, A. D. 1805. 

The subscriber begs leave to represent to the meeting of 
said society that he has not attended the meeting for public 
worship of said society for nine months last past, that he has 
constantly and invariably during said time attended, and shall 
for the future attend public worship with the Friends or 
Quakers. He therefore requests that the meeting would vote 
him his discharge from said society and from all future bur- 
dens of taxes, interests in or to, said society belonging. 
He would further represent to said meeting that he is not 
influenced by motives of interest but cannot conscientiously 
any longer attend worship in that way and that his conduct 
in this respe6l is from principle and not for the purpose of 
evasion. He therefore makes this request publicly hoping the 
meeting of said society will have a tender regard for what 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 



^05 



his conscience dictates to be done, and suffer him to act 
agreeably theteto, and grant his request of being discharged 
from said society, and as in duty bound will ever pray. 

Ephraim Sanford. 
Falmouth, first of the 4th month, 1805." 

Thereupon the Society voted that Mr. Sanford's request 
be complied with, and his discharge was signed by Job Par- 
ker, Society Clerk. 

In 1809 the Congregational Society voted •' ihe freedom 
of the pulpity The occasion for this action on the part of 
the Societv is not stated, but it would seem that a portion 
of the parish were disposed to invade the rights of the min- 
ister and to dictate to him the course he should pursue in 
the admission of other clergymen to his pulpit. Whereupon 
the society voted that their minister should be protected in 
his right to control his own pulpit and that no clergyman 
should be allowed to occupy it without his free consent, a 
resolution that evinces the self-respect of said society, for 
surely no clergyman is fit to be settled over any people who 
will allow this right to be wrested from him. 

This year Rev. Erastus Otis, a traveling preacher of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, visited this town, and soon after 
organized a church in accordance with the principles of that 
denomination. It is somewhat singular that a religious society, 
formed only thirty-four years ago, should have no record of 
its first organization, or of its act of incorporation. The clerk 
of said society thinks it was incorporated about 181 1. I have 
found a list of petitioners for this a6l, numbering forty-two 
signatures, several of whom were men of influence, and of high 
respe6lability. Barna Marchant was at the head of the peti- 



lo6 HISTOBY OF FALMOUTH. 

tion, and we also find the names of Hugh G. Donaldson, 
Solomon Green, Denona Nickerson, Major Hatch, William Nye, 
&c. It appears that most, if not all the founders of this 
society, were seceders from the old society. From the records 
of the Congregational society we find that they applied " to be 
set off," for the purpose of their new organization, but a vote 
to this effect could not be obtained, thus showing that they 
were valuable members that the majority were unwiUing to lose. 
They then quietly seceded, and the first meeting as a society 
was holden at Pocasset in June, iSii. The reason why they 
should meet at so great a a distance from this place may be 
explained by the following fact : Owing to some peculiarity of 
the constitution of that church, this society received its a6l of 
incorporation in connection with another church, located at Sand- 
wich and that being a convenient point for the accommodation 
ot both societies they probably met there for the purpose of or- 
ganizing under their new act. Not being able to find any 
church record, distinct from society records, prior to 1830, I 
cannot give many tacts relating to its early history. The 
officers of the church consist of stewards and class leaders. 
Its first class leaders were Dr. F. S. Donaldson and Mr. 
Barna Marchant. Mr. Donaldson was one of its first stewards. 
Their first house of worship was built in 181 1, and stood a 
little to the westward of the present town poor house. The 
interior of the house was not completed till 1829, when the 
building was moved to its present site, finished and thor- 
oughly repaired and painted. Although the events that led 
to the formation of a new society and a new denomination 
were deeply deplored at the time, by the members of the old 
society, yet it must be a matter of consolation to them, that 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 107 

when their brethren could no longer conscientiously subscribe 
to the same form of doctrine, or adhere to the same church 
policy, that they adopted a form of church organization that 
still recognized those they had left behind as Christian breth- 
ren, and there are undoubtedly many present who can bear 
personal testimony to the Christian liberality of both churches, 
in welcoming each other with true cordiality to the communion 
table of their common Saviour. And may God in his mercy 
grant that no form of ecclesiastical organization shall ever arise 
in this ancient town of the Pilgrims that will render it neces- 
sary (to be consistent with its principles) to exclude from its 
Christian fellowship, the weakest disciple that has been owned 
of the Savior of men. 



Ladies .^nd Gentlemen : 

The interest you have manifested in the subject that has 
been presented before you for three successive evenings is to 
me peculiarly gratifying — because it is an undoubted demon- 
stration of the intense interest you feel in the history of those 
who have gone before. I regard it as an aft of homage to 
the memory of our fathers. And are they not worthy of this 
homage? Let us for a moment go back to our starting 
point in the commencement of our history. We find our 
immediate ancestors at the beginning of the 17th century, 
meditating a removal to the new world, then a continuous 
waste, a howling wilderness. What were the motives inclining 
them to emigrate? Had they heard of the mines of the South- 
ern continent — and came they hither with golden dreams and 
visions of earthly glory? 



io8 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

Oh no ; not for themselves they came. They sought a 
home, where free to act, they might estabUsh such institutions 
as in their judgment would secure the religious liberty, the 
peace and happiness of their posterity. For this they bid 
adieu to the Old World. We follow them across the wide 
Atlantic and see them landing on "Wild New England shore." 
From Scituate Harbor, the place of their first settlement we 
follow them with their faithful pastor to West Barnstable, from 
whence after a lapse of twenty-one years they commence the 
settlement of our native town. Let us in imagination go 
back and contemplate the scene that was then presented. 
These streets were then covered with trees of the forest, 
these western hills were dotted with Indian villages — these 
bays and rivers were only traversed by the light Indian canoe. 

Taking our stand at " Nobsque Point " and casting our 
eyes towards the rising sun new objects appear in the dis- 
tance. They are not the frail barks of the Indian, neither 
are they the tall sails of the white man. They hug the 
northern shore and approach nearer and nearer. We can 
now see that they are open boats filled with white men, women 
and children. They follow up the «hore — now they take in 
sail and lay on their oars. A moment of consultation and 
their bows head to the shore — a few strokes of the oars and 
we hear their keels grating on the pebbles of the beach. We 
count fourteen men. A part of these remain to secure the 
boat and protect the women and children, whilst the remain- 
der hastily disembark to spy out the land and ascertain the 
inducement it may offer this little company as a place of 
permanent settlement. 



HI8T0BT OF FALMOUTH. 109 

We see them return with joy and hope beaming in each 
happy yet anxious countenance. And what is their report? 
We find, say they, a fine level country extending back we 
know not how far, and here within a stone's cast, we find 
what to us is indispensable, a pond of pure fresh water. 
The question is soon decided, and these strangers with their 
few effects are landed or encamped on the margin of the 
pond where grows luxuriously the green swamp flag and the 
water lily. Hark ; what gentle murmur do we hear from 
the encampment on this the first night of their new home? 
Is it the ripple of the little lake on whose borders they are, 
or is it the more distant falling of the surge on the pebbly 
shore ! We listen again. Ah ! 'tis a sound most welcome 
and falling like sweet music on the mother's ear — the wail- 
ing of a new born infant. The father holding in his arms 
the first white native inhabitant of Falmouth asks the wife and 
mother what his name shall be. With pious reference to an 
overruling Providence she replies "He is born among the flags 
and his name shall be Moses." From this small encamp- 
ment tracing as we have in these lectures their extension over 
a township of forty-five square miles their early establishment 
of the Gospel ministry and of schools — their labors and sacri- 
fices in preparing for us this goodly heritage — allow me to 
repeat the questiou Are they not worthy of our hotnage? 
Do they not merit this expression of our interest in their his- 
tory? I ask the fair portion of this audience if they can 
offer too high a meed of praise to the self denial, the un- 
tiring industry and the unshaken fortitude of our pilgrim 
mothers? Let them keep in mind that few of the comforts 
and conveniences at the present day thought so essential to 



no HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

the well being (I had almost said to the existence) of the 
female sex could then be procured. Forget not the first 
child bom in this town had not even a manger bed. For- 
get not the toils and privations to which they must have been 
subjected in the settlement of so new a country. How 
widely different their cares, labours and anxieties from those 
of their fair descendants. Their first care was not to obtain 
the latest fashion, the last novel or the newest music. In 
addition to the usual routine of domestic duties, their families 
were dependent on the labor of their own hands for almost 
every article of wearing apparel. Every house in those days 
was a general manufactory, and had I taken the pains I might 
have exhibited to you tonight specimens of linen that would 
not discredit the machinery of the present day. 

Ladies, the character of these your predecessors has 
been drawn by the pen of inspiration. If ever that descrip- 
tion applied to any class of noble women it applied to the 
wives and daughters of the pilgrim fathers. " Who," says the 
wise man, " can find a virtuous woman for her price is far 
above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust 
in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do 
him good and not evil all the days of her Ufe. She seek- 
eth wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. She 
is like the merchants' ships ; she bringeth her food from afar. 
She riseth also whilst it is yet night, and giveth meat to hei 
household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth 
a field and buyeth it, with the fruit of her hands she plant- 
eth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength and 
strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise 
is good ; her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. in 

her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 
She stretcheth her hands to the poor ; yea she reacheth forth 
her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for 
her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry : her clothing is silk 
and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he 
sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen 
and selleth it ; and delivereth girdles unto the merchants. Strength 
and honor are her clothing ; and she shall rejoice in time to 
come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom ; and in her 
tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways 
of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her 
children rise up and call her blessed ; her husband also, and 
he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but 
thou excellest them all. " 

Let us, fellow citizens, one and all sacredly cherish the 
memory of our fathers — it is a duty that we owe not only to 
them, and to high heaven — but also to our posterity. I 
need not tell you that our country- has for some time been 
filling up with emigrants from the old world, bringing with 
them the habits and principles of their father land, and it is 
no slander to say that the same principles and feelings which 
made the Old World intolerable and drove the pilgrims to 
these western shores, are at this moment gaining strength in 
this peacful republic. Already do we hear the motives of 
our fathers misrepresented ; their principles ridiculed, and their 
self-sacrificing deeds branded with the epithet selfishness. Al- 
ready do we hear that motto so offensive to every true son 
of New England, "No church without a Bishop'" — and if it 
is suffered to pass current unrebuked it will not be long before 



112 HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 

we shall be called on to subscribe to its accompanying — 
"No state without a king." As sons and daughters of the 
pilgrims let us vindicate the character, honor the principles 
and practice the virtues of our common and honored arcestry. 
Let it be the honest sentiment of our hearts, — If we forget 
the principles, the habits, the piety, the self-sacrifice of the 
pilgrim fathers — then let our right hand forget its cunning. 
If we prefer not the glor}' of early New England to the 
wretched schemes of imported theorizers of to-day, then let 
our tongues cleave to the roof of our mouth. 

It is a matter of rejoicing that the leaven of New Eng- 
land principles and habits is silently but effectually working 
in the great masses of society at the present time. In vari- 
ous and distant parts of our growing country where the sons 
of New England have gone, societies have been formed for 
the purpose of commemorating the acts of the pilgrim fathers, 
and of extending their principles. Then let not us who re- 
main at home, who tread this honored soil, who enjoy so 
freely the dear-bought blessings that have been handed down 
to us ; let not us be unfaithful to our high trust, but trans- 
mit untarnished the same bright legacy to those who shall 
come after. 

Expressing my thanks to this numerous audience for the 
attention they have been pleased to give to these lectures, I 
will close by quoting from Mrs. Heman's beautiful tribute to 
the " Pilgrim Fathers. " 

The breaking waves dashed high, 

On a stern and rock-bound coast; 
And the woods against a stormy sky, 

Their giant brandies tossed. 
And the heavy night hung dark 

The liills and waters o'er, 
WTien a band of exiles moor'd their bark 



HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 113 



On the wild New England shore. 

Not as the conqueror comes; 
They the true hearted came; 

Not with the roll of stirring dmm, 
Or the trumpet that sings of fame. 
• « * 

What sought they thus afar? 
Bright jewels of the mine? 

The wealth of seas, the spoils of war? 
They sought a faith's pure shrine. 

Aye : call it holy ground 
The spot where first they trod. 

They have left? unstained what there they found, 
Freedom to worship God. 




INDEX. 



Acaposket, 6, 19 

Annibel, Anthony 12, 16, 17 

Arms for use of the Town, 83 

Artillery Company, 98 

Ashumet, 6 

Ashumet Pond, 50 

Barker, Samuel 51 

Bassett, Barachiah 80 

Col. 94 

WiUiam 25 

Major William 41 

Blossom, Peter 12, 16, 17 

Bounty on Black Birds and Jays, 53 

Bourne, Ezra 50 

John 51 

Joseph 75 

Mr. 64 

Mrs. Elizabeth, 69 

Meltiah 60 

Richard 5 1 

Sylvanus 5 2 



Bowerman, Curtis 


100 


Samuel 


68 


Thomas 


20, 26, 27, 41, 60, 68 


Jr. Thomas 


68 


Bradford, WiUiam 


21, 25 


Bread corn purchased by the Town in 1775, 


79 


Brown, Sir Richard 


»3 


Butler, Daniel 


23, 30 


David 


54, 55 


Otis A. 


69 


Rev. Zebulon 


99 


Bumpus, Jason 


96 


Cataumet, 


6 


Chapman, John 


12, 16 


Chapoquit, 


6 


Rock, 


17 


Chenachuson, 


50 


Church, First Congregational 


64 


Church Records, 


71 


Clay Beds, 


43 


Cobb, James 


12, 16, 17 


Cohasset, 


22 


Committee of Safety, Letters from 


80 


Conihassett, 


22 


Coonamesset Pond, 


17, 41, 96 97 


Constable, Office of 


39 


Corn purchased for use of Town, 


«3 


Cotton, Rowland 


25, 61 


Crapish Indians, 


41 


Crocker, Capt. Job 


84 


Timothy 


79, 95 


Croswell, Mrs. Sarah 


69 


Crowell, Benjamin 


102 


Deacon Joseph 


75 


Joshua 


96 


" Cuffee " 


75 


Davis, Hannah 


65 



Davis. John 65 

Joseph 75 

Sylvanus 102 

Depredations of the English Fleet, 85 

Dexter, Philip 41, 42. 49, 56 

Dexter's River, ^h 49 

Dimmick, Braddock 89, 99 

C^olonel 87 

General 96, 97, 102 

General Joseph 80, 89, 91, 92, 94 

John 51 

Lot 84, 92 

Major 83 

Donaldson, Hugh J 106 

Dr. F. S. 107 

Draft for the Continental Army, 93 

Dunham, Jonathan 33 

Dutchman's Pond, 19 

Eldred, William 75 

Elliot, John 9 

EHzabeth Island, 82 

Ewer, Thomas 12. 16. 17, 18 

Falkland, British Sloop of War 8t 

Falmouth, 2 7 

area, 5 

latitude and longitude, 4 

East 99 

North, 41 

West, 3^ 40 

population at different dates, 5 

Faunce, Mary 14 

Federals in Falmouth, 96 

Ferry from Woods Hole to Vineyard 5 1 

Filley, Samuel 18 

Firearms purchased for the Town in 1775, 79 

Fish, Thomas 97, 99 

Fisk, Simeon 87 



Five Mile River, 17, 25, 28, 41. 45, 49 

Freeman, Gen. g_ 



Mrs. Hannah 

Friends, See Quakers 
Fuller, Samuel 



69 



12, 16 



Gifford, Benjamin -^ 

Christopher ^ 26 



Gideon 

Joseph 

Justus 

Meltiah 

Prince 

Reuben 

Seth 

William 



41 

35 
68 

7 
18 



55 
68 

iS, 19, 3i> 41 
Jr., Wilham ^^^ ^8 

Sen.. William 10 68 

the younger William, 68 

Gosnold, Bartholomew 

Grammar School, 

Grannis, Capt. John 82 

Great Hill Neck, 

Great Neck, ,6^ ^^ 



4 



Greene, Abishai 
Isaac 



102 

48 

Jonathan 8_ 



Solomon 

William 



106 



51. 56, 83 
Grew, Isaac ^ 

Griffen, Thomas jg 

12, t6, I 7 

14 

^5> 3' 



Hamlin, James 

Hanford, Margaret 

Harper, Robert 

Stephen ^V^ 68 

Hatch, Amy 6c 

Benjamin 6 - 

Capt. Davis 69 



Hatch, Mrs. Davis 69 

Jr. Ebenezer 75 

Elizabeth 65 

ElUs 65 

Jonathan 11, 12. 15, 16, 17, 26, 41 

Sen. Jonathan 18, 41 

Joseph 25 

Jr. Joseph 41 

Lieut. . 5 1 

Lydia 65 

Major 106 

Mayhew ^ 69 

Moses 27, 60, 64, 65 

Paul 54 

Samuel 65 

Shubael 95 

Silas 54 

Susan 69 

Sylvanus 36 

Hathaway, Sen. John 25 

Herring Controversy 96 

Fishery 94 

River Indians 5 

Hihondi, 9 

Hinckley, James 96, 98 

Samuel 12, 16, 17 

Thomas 25 

Hog Island, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 40 

Hogs running at large, 94 

Horton, John i 7 

Housekeepers, 37 

Howland, John 1 8 

Hull, Joseph 18. 35 

Indian burying ground, 6 

Indian "Tob," 8 

Indians, Favorite haunts of 7 



Indians, Herring River tribe e 

Marshpee trbie c 

Purchase of land from g^ o 

Jenkins, John 12, i6, 17, r8, 19, 26, 43, '46 

Capt. Weston 03 

Jennings, Samuel ., 



Johnson, Mary g- 

Jonathan 
Thomas 



Philip 
Rev. Mr. 
Thomas 
Lawrence, John 



Hannah 



41 

18, 25 

41, 65 
94 
91 



William 
Jones, Thomas 

Capt. Thomas 

Landers, Amos ^0 

John 68 

Richard 4 J 68 

Lathrop, Capt. Hope .5 



36 

29 

12. 16, 17 

5S» 102 



Lewis, Benjamin . j 6e 

Lieut. Ebenezer ^6 



65 



James 25 

Capt. Nathaniel 6^ 

Samuel 50^ 60^ 64 

Thomas ,8, 27, 33 

Sen. Thomas 

Lincoln, Rev. Henry 

Little Harboi, 

Neck, 

Siperwisset __ 

Lumbert, Barna jg 

Marshal, Rev. Josiah 6^ 

Mann, Rev. Isaiah 100 

Marchant. Barna jo- jq^ 

Marshpee boundary, -^ 



20 

lOI 

18 



Marshpee, Indians c 

Masonic Lodge, qc 

Mayhegansett, 3^ 

Meeting House built in 1750, ^4 

The First 65 

Green, aj 

Lot, 54 

New 102 

Metcalf, Rev. Joseph 46, 60, 67 

Letter of 64 

Methodist Church, Organization of 105 

Meeting House 106 

Mill, Grist r(, 

Minute men in 1775, 80 

Monument Bay, C4 

Moononwist Creek, cq 

Mount Hope, g 

Nelson, William 12^ 16,17 

New Purchase 42 

Nickerson, Nathaniel r^^ -c 

Denona 106 

Isaiah 100 

Zipporah ,00 

Night w^atch. estabhshed 1775 jg 

Nimrod, English brig 08 

Nobsque Point jq 

North Shore ot 102 

Nye, Benjamin 21, 22, 41, 43 

Jr. Benjamin 41 

David g- 

- Ebenezer 21 22 

Elisha gj 

John 21, 22 

Samuel q^ 

William jq(3 

Old Purchase 42 

Old Town Harbor q, 



Otis, Erastus 105 

Oysters 57> 94 

Oyster Island 91 

Oyster Pond 57 

Palmer " Esquire " 69, 87 

Job 69 

Rev. Sam'l 68, 69 

letter accepting call 72 

sketch of life of 68 

salary of 68 

death of 99 

Thomas 69 

Parker, Benjamin 75 

Ensign 49^ 5^ 

Job 80, 105 

Joseph 4i> 46, 60, 69, 74 

Mercy 65, 68 

Seth 53 

Thomas 65 

Perciful, James 25 

Pesque, 86 

Pitts, Joseph 54 

Pocasset, 8, 106 

Pognet, Caleb 50 

Population in 1760, 55 

Privateers. Depredations of 90 

Proprietors Book, 28 

Meetings 95 

Records, 10 

Pulpit, Freedom of 105 

Quakers, 13 

alleged persecution of 30 

duty of constable regarding 39 

establishment of a meeting of 30 

Meeting House 100 

Release from church 104 

Quassamut 33 



Quebec, Expedition against 


28 


Quisset, 


6, 27 


Republicans in Falmouth 


96 


Richard, Matthias 


50 


Robinson, Bethiah 


65 


Elizabeth 


65 


Isaac 


12, 13, 14, 155 16, 43, 50 


John 


12, 18, 60, 64, 65, 95 


Joseph 


7,65 


Paul 


88 


Solomon 


51 


Timothy 


48, 49 


Rowley, Aaron 


65 


Mary 


65 


Moses 


27 


Sen. Moses 


18 


Nathan 


41 


Russell, Rev. Jonathan 


61, 65 


Sanford, Benjamin 


102 


Ephraim 


105 


Sargent, Hannah 


48 


School Districts 


55 


House, 


95 


Mistress, Salary of 


48, 49 


Shanks, Shanks Pond 


7 


Shapoquit Rock, 


46 


" Shaving Mills," 


84 


Sheep Pasture lots. 


42 


Shipman, John 


17 


Shiverick, Mr. Minister oi the town 


35 


Nathaniel 


79 


Sen. Samuel 


65 


Samnel 


54, 57, 59 


Lieut. Sam'l 


75 


Thomas 


50 



Shiverick, Capt. Thomas 














75 


Siperwisset 














19- 33 


Skiff, Nathaniel 














18 


Slocum, John 














86 


Smith, John 














18 


Snake Pond, 














87 


South Sea Indians, 














51 


Stone, Rev. Nathaniel 














61 


Saccanessett [variously spelled,] 






i8. 


20, 


23. 


26, 27 


Order of court 


regarding 


Ministers, 








32 


First vote regarding support of 


ministers, 






32 


Svvift, Benjamin 














55,68 


David 














102 


Elijah 














95 


Ephraim 














85 


James 














95 


Manassah 














85 


Ward 














87 


Tarpaulin Cove, 












81, 


84, 90 


Tateket, 






6, 


25. 


26, 


29, 


4S>98 


Toll for grinding grain, 














56 


Thomas, Mr. 












12, 


16, 17 


Town House, 














37 


Town's Book of Records, 














28,35 


Vaccination, 














94 


Waquoit, 














6 


Watterman, Peter 














9 


Weeks, Dr. Francis 














94 


Dr. 














102 


Hervey 














6 


John 










8, 


i9> 


25> 94 


Joseph 














96 


William 














18, 19 


Wendal, Moses 














51 


Wequamquisset Neck, 














8 



Wequecoxett, 8 

Wharf, Falmouth 98 

Wicket, Jeremy 9 

Wing, Benjamin 96 

Wolves, Depredations of 44 
Woods Hole, 17, 18, 19, a6, a8, 85 

Wyatt, William 26 



H R8 78 



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